President Trump announced a deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk on Thursday to lower the cost of their weight loss drugs for some Americans. Dr. Holly Lofton, NYU Langone Medical's weight management program director, joins "The Daily Report" to discuss.

Washington

President Trump has announced an agreement with pharmaceutical companies Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the cost of weight-loss drugs for some Americans. Under the plan, the lowest doses of Wigovi and Zep-Bound will be available at significantly reduced prices, making these medications more accessible to individuals on Medicare and Medicaid.

Dr. Holly Loftin from NYU Langone Medical Weight Management Program explained that increased access to GLP-1 drugs could benefit 35 to 60 million people, improving weight management and reducing risks for conditions like heart disease. She noted that these medications are proven safe and effective for long-term use and could help lower downstream health care costs by reducing hospital admissions and the need for other medications.

Increased access to weight loss drugs can lower overall health care costs

As we've been reporting, President Trump announced today a deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the cost of their weight-loss drugs for some Americans. Without insurance, the price of these injectable medications, also known as GLP-1s, can reach up to more than $1,300 a month. But under the president's plan, Wigovi's lowest dose would start at $245 a month. Zep-Bound's lowest dose would start at $149 a month. For more, let's bring in Dr. Holly Loftin. She's the director at New York University's Langone Medical Weight Management Program. Doctor, thank you for being here. What does increasing access to these weight-loss drugs mean for public health and obesity rates in the U.S.? Thank you for having me. Right now, we're in a situation where patients are either having to self-pay those high numbers that you just quoted for these medications, or they're using their private insurance. However, Medicare and Medicaid patients who utilize those resources don't have access to these medications that have $1,000 price points. So getting these numbers down to the hundreds can really help 35 to 60 million beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid have access to these important drugs. They not only help with weight management, but also improve other conditions such as heart disease. When you touched on it, what's the 30,000-foot view of what this looks like for public health? Because we know a lot of people, they try and diet, they try and exercise, and those things just simply aren't enough. Well, we know that in trials, when we look at the efficacy of these medications, there's always a placebo group, and that group is doing diet and exercise. They usually lose about 3% of their weight, which is negligible, and over time, that really doesn't lead to a decrease in mortality or morbidity risk or disease risk. So improving access to these medications can help us further cut downstream Medicare and Medicaid costs for things like cardiac admissions and severe heart conditions, admissions such as heart failure, severe diabetes, and other medications, uses that we are using right now. We may not need as much of them as we have access to the GLP-1s for our people who have Medicare and Medicaid. Do you know why those government health programs have been so restrictive in the past when it comes to these drugs? Well, there is actually a law that stems back from the 90s when there were medications which weren't as safe for weight loss that actually did cause valvulopathy, which is a heart valve disease. So there was a law made for any CMS beneficiaries that they will not cover weight-loss drugs. Now we know that the GLP-1 agonists are more than weight-loss drugs. They don't solely suppress appetite. They help fat cells shrink. They really go to the core of the brain and gut pathway to get us to lose weight, but also decrease risk of heart disease, sleep apnea, other conditions such as fatty liver. So we are seeing these medications being safe and effective for long-term use in trials and in the general population. Dr. Holly Loftin, thank you.

Israel’s military says it has begun conducting “a wave of strikes” targeting Hezbollah military sites in southern Lebanon.

Tyre

Israel launched ‘wave of strikes’ in southern Lebanon despite truce

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to submit proposals to potentially resume testing nuclear weapons. This comes after President Trump directed the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing "on an equal basis" with other countries.

Moscow

Putin orders proposals for resuming nuclear weapons testing

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments challenging President Trump's authority to impose sweeping tariffs on foreign countries, with justices expressing skepticism about whether such actions fall within presidential powers or infringe on congressional authority over taxation.

Global Tariffs

Supreme Court justices appear skeptical of Trump's tariffs policies

The US government shutdown is now in its 36th day—a record-breaking length. While both political parties blame each other, the result is being felt by the public. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are going without pay, and government programs like food benefits have been slashed.

Republicans and Democrats trade blame as shutdown drags on

At least 90 people in the central Philippines have died in floods and heavy rains caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi. 75 others are missing. Tens of thousands have been evacuated after rains flooded homes and streets, swept away vehicles and left people trapped on their roofs.

Manila

Dozens killed as Typhoon Kalmaegi hits central Philippines

President Trump hosted a breakfast for Republican senators at the White House on Wednesday morning, where he urged them to end the filibuster as the government shutdown hits a historical milestone.

Trump doubles down on Republicans as government shutdown makes history

At least nine people were killed, officials say, after a UPS cargo plane crashed near the airport in Louisville, Kentucky. Video shows the jet's left wing on fire as it tries to take off before quickly losing altitude and exploding.

Louisville

Video shows moment UPS plane crashes in Kentucky, killing nine

People around the world are reacting to Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City mayoral race against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio spoke to Mamdani's mentor in his native Uganda about the election results.

New York

World reacts to Zohran Mamdani's win in NYC mayoral race

Typhoon Kalmaegi left a trail of destruction in the central Philippines, as the powerful storm unleashed heavy rains and floods across Visayas islands region. It's now headed towards the South China Sea and Vietnam where preparations are underway ahead of its expected landfall.

Visayas

Deadly Typhoon Kalmaegi lashes Philippines, heads towards Vietnam

A centuries-old legislative practice in the U.S Senate is being blamed as the latest roadblock in resolving the federal government shutdown. That shutdown is now in its 35th day—equaling the longest in the country's history.

Filibuster blamed for deepening U.S government shutdown

Injuries have been reported after a UPS plane crashed near the Louisville International Airport on Tuesday, officials said.

UPS plane crashes near airport in Kentucky, officials say

The U.S. Senate's 14th vote on a House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government has failed, setting up the shutdown to become the longest ever in American history.

Senate vote fails again to reopen government

A new UN report reviews the gap between countries’ climate commitments and global emissions targets.

UN report reveals climate pledges 'barely moving the needle'

Peru has severed diplomatic relations with Mexico after learning that former prime minister Betssy Chávez, accused of helping ex-president Pedro Castillo attempt a coup in 2022, has taken refuge in the Mexican embassy in Lima.

Lima

Peru cuts ties with Mexico over asylum for ex-prime minister

Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84. He was a major force in the Republican party for more than 30 years and served as vice president under former President George W. Bush.

Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney dies at 84

There has been a sharp escalation in bloodshed in the conflict since Rapid Support Forces fighters captured the city of al-Fashir.

Al Fashir

United States working to secure a humanitarian truce in Sudan

The Trump administration says it will restart the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but will only pay half the amount people usually get. The move comes after two federal judges ruled that freezing payments for the U.S.'s biggest anti-hunger program is unlawful.

Trump administration will partially restore food benefit funding

Manufacturing giant Kimberly-Clark is set to acquire Kenvue, the maker of Tylenol, for $48.7 billion. CBS News MoneyWatch correspondent Kelly O'Grady has more details.

Kimberly-Clark to buy Tylenol maker Kenvue for nearly $50 billion

Russia said on Monday that its troops had advanced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, a transport and logistics hub that they have been trying to capture for over a year, but Ukraine said its forces were holding on.

Pokrovsk

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine sends special forces to Pokrovsk

Israeli police have arrested a former military prosecutor after she leaked a video appearing to show soldiers abusing a Palestinian detainee. Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi was detained overnight on Monday following a scandal that erupted after she leaked a video, resigned and then disappeared.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israel arrests ex-army lawyer over leaked video showing abuse

U.S. President Donald Trump told 60 Minutes he thinks Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's days are numbered amid the U.S. striking another boat in the Caribbean allegedly transporting drugs.

Trump sounds off on Venezuela's Maduro as deadly boat strikes continue

A mayor in Mexico's western state of Michoacan was shot dead in a plaza in front of dozens of people who had gathered for Day of the Dead festivities, authorities said. Local politicians in Mexico are frequently victims of political and organized crime violence.

Michoacán

Mexican mayor killed during Day of the Dead celebrations

A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, killing at least 20 people, injuring hundreds and damaging the city's historic Blue Mosque, authorities said, with the death toll likely to rise.

Mazar-i-Sharif

Deadly earthquake rocks northern Afghanistan

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the Los Angeles Dodgers' victory parade on Monday after they won the World Series over the weekend. The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in 11 innings in Game 7 to become the first team in 25 years to win back-to-back World Series.

Los Angeles

Dodgers to hold championship parade after World Series victory

A 32-year-old man suspected of carrying out a bloody stabbing on a United Kingdom train is facing at least 10 criminal charges. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio has the latest.

London

UK train stabbing spree suspect faces attempted murder charges

Hamas handed over bodies of three hostages on Sunday (November 2), even as the Palestinian militant group traded blame with Israel for violations of the tenuous truce that has mostly halted two years of war.

Breakdown