Elon Musk shows support for weight loss drugs despite RFK Jr.'s criticism
Elon Musk, who has been tapped to co-lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency in President-elect Donald Trump's administration, vocalized his support for weight loss drugs on Wednesday.
"Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making [GLP-1 drugs] super low cost to the public. Nothing else is even close," Musk wrote in his post on X.
Some of the most prominent GLP-1 drugs, also known as drugs used for weight loss, include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
The post comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -- whom Trump nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services -- has openly espoused negative viewpoints about people using medication to treat obesity.
RFK Jr. had previously told Fox News that weight loss drug makers are "counting on selling it to Americans because we are so stupid and so addicted to drugs."
"If we just gave good food, three meals a day, to every man, woman and child in our country, we could solve the obesity and diabetes epidemic overnight," he added.
However, in a televised interview from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, directly following Musk's endorsement of GLP-1 drugs, RFK Jr. offered a slightly different slant on his former comments, stating that the weight-loss drugs might "have a place" after all.
"The first line of response should be lifestyle, it should be eating well, making sure that you don't get obese, and that those GLP drugs have a place," he said.
As head of the HHS, RFK Jr. will oversee agencies like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, which manages health coverage for millions of Americans, as well as the Food and Drug Administration, which is in charge of approving new drugs or expanding uses of existing drugs, given they are found safe and effective.
Trump has since picked Dr. Mehmet Oz to work under RFK Jr. as head of the CMS. Oz has spoken favorably about anti-obesity drugs in the past. It is yet to be seen how this potential difference of opinion might play out between the two Trump appointees.
Last month, the CMS under President Joe Biden proposed a new rule to expand access to these medications by classifying them as treatment for disease rather than simply for weight loss.
Currently, Medicare is not allowed to cover medications used for weight loss alone.
They do cover GLP-1 drugs that are FDA-approved for Type 2 diabetes – if the patient has diabetes.
Wegovy is covered for obesity if the patient also already has cardiovascular disease.
Individual states may opt to cover these drugs under Medicaid -- but many do not.
Musk's post was written in response to an ongoing discourse about the health care industry in the United States, sparked by this month's fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
At the time of his arrest, the shooting suspect reportedly had with him writings that criticized companies in the nation's health care industry for being the most expensive in the world, despite the U.S. ranking lower than many other developed nations in terms of life expectancy, according to law enforcement.
Multiple clinical trials are also underway to determine what other diseases GLP-1 drugs may potentially protect against. The drugs are currently approved for Type 2 diabetes, weight loss and heart disease.
Studies have shown that alongside weight loss and Type 2 diabetes management, the drugs may protect against high blood pressure, liver disease, kidney disease and other health complications of obesity.
Research has also shown that the drugs may reduce the risk of cognitive decline, like dementia.
There have also previously been anecdotal reports that the drugs may assist in reducing addictive behavior including substance abuse, alcohol use or gambling, which researchers continue to investigate.
The FDA will be tasked to review safety and efficacy data from these pending trials to determine whether they meet the standards for approval.
ABC News' T. Michelle Murphy contributed to this report.
