Pharmaceutical Companies Are Spending Big Money on Weight-Loss Drug Lobbying

The federal government pushed makers of GLP-1 medications to lower their prices this year.

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Semaglutide (GLP-1) weight-loss drug Wegovy, made by pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. James Manning/EMPPL PA Wire via AP

Pharmaceutical companies spent big money late last year lobbying the federal government on weight-loss drugs as scrutiny around the price of GLP-1 medications increased, according to new lobbying disclosures reviewed by NOTUS.

Companies such as Ozempic and Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk and Mounjaro manufacturer Eli Lilly publicly reached deals with the Trump administration to lower the cost of their blockbuster weight loss drugs for patients paying with cash or using insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid.

But behind the scenes, they continued to pay lobbyists to lobby on issues such as “the pricing of GLP-1 therapeutic products” and “Medicare coverage of anti-obesity medicines.