Drug Executive Collapses During Oval Office Press Conference
During a press event in the Oval Office, a drug executive suddenly collapsed while President Donald Trump was announcing a deal aimed at lowering the cost of obesity treatments. The conference, held on Thursday, was interrupted as officials rushed to assist the man.
Details of the Incident
David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly, was speaking about the agreement with drugmakers when he noticed the executive's distress. He asked,
“Are you OK? Gordon, are you OK?”The man, identified as Gordon Findlay, global brand director for Novo Nordisk, appeared to faint and fall to his knees.
Response and Key Figures
- Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, immediately responded to help Findlay.
- President Trump observed the situation as medical assistance was provided.
- Health and Human Services Secretary was also present during the incident.
The Context of the Press Conference
The event focused on a new partnership between the government and drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for popular obesity medications, Zepbound and Wegovy.
Getty Images, covering the event, confirmed the identity of the collapsed individual as Gordon Findlay.
Following the incident, the press was asked to leave, and the conference was cut short.
Author's summary: During a high-profile press conference on obesity drug pricing, Novo Nordisk executive Gordon Findlay fainted, prompting an immediate response and cutting the event short.