Robert F. Kennedy Jr vs GLP1
RFK Jr.'s appointment and it's effect on GLP1s. Is it truly anti-GLP1? Or a case of tactics?
With the election of Donald Trump in 2024, a new cabinet of officials is due to be appointed to the White House and surrounding government agencies.
With those appointees is a decidedly anti GLP1 entrant – Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. ("RFK Jr"), who was appointed to the role of Secretary of Health and Human Services.
While it's not a foregone conclusion that RFK Jr. will seek to limit the availability of GLP1s or crack down on them, past statements make many a bit unsure of whether he will negatively affect availability of GLP1s.
Why do some think RFK Jr. is against GLP1s?
As reported by Newsweek, there are many instances in which RFK has railed against the current health system, and more importantly GLP1 Receptor Agonists (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound, and others) in particular:
Mandy Taheri
RFK has been against the coverage of GLP1 drugs by Medicare or Medicaid, as they are very expensive. In general over the last few years congress has moved towards increasing coverage of GLP1s.
The most alarming things that have been espoused by RFK with regards to GLP1s seems to be a somewhat sophomoric understanding of the difficulties of weight loss, suggesting that a simple recommendation of gym attendance and an improved diet would be enough to help most people achieve their weight loss goals:
"If a doctor's patient has diabetes or obesity, the doctor ought to be able to say, I'm going to recommend gym membership, and I'm going to recommend good food, and Medicaid ought to be able to finance those things the same as they would Ozempic."
While this stance is not necessarily anti GLP1 or anti-pharma, it represents an understanding of the benefits of the drugs coupled with the difficulty of weight loss for some segments of the society.
Could RFK's appointment be blocked?
Appointments can be blocked by congress, and there have been some musings on whether RFK's appointment could be blocked entirely.
In particular, Hawaii's Governor Josh Green is actively campaigning against RFK's appointment, noting that RFK's tenure with the Samoan community lead to bad health outcomes (as reported by The Hill):
“RFK Jr. has really given me pause about what he might do, he might actually damage the health of our nation terribly if he behaves how he did in Samoa,” he told anchor Erin Burnett.
“When RFK Jr. got to Samoa he went through the Children‘s Defense Fund nonprofit he founded and pushes, he used misinformation to scare all of the people of Samoa away from getting vaccinated. He did not share what happened,” Green stated.
RFK's most prominent opponents point to his anti-vaccine rhetoric as damaging for communities, in a world where the value of vaccines is essentially certain.
There are reportedly Democrats willing to back RFK Jr., however, so it seems unlikely that his appointment will be the most contentious or likely to be blocked completely:
What are RFK Jr.'s positions on Healthcare?
While the news furor has raged, ASC Review has put together a fantastic guide to the stated positions of RFK Jr:
Francesca Mathewes
While of course this list is not exhaustive, the list is less anti- GLP1 as much as it is about other large parts of the health care system, and focusing on food supply issues.
Dissenting voices inside the Trump Cabinet
While RFK is certainly making the most waves and is more likely to be in the news, there are a few other dissenting voices inside the circle of Trump himself:
- Elon Musk
- Dr. Mehmet Oz
Elon Musk has credited Wegovy in the past for helping him achieve his weight loss goals, and has been so far unlikely to deny the science behind GLP1 drugs.
One of the dissenting voices that are in favor of GLP1 Receptor Agonists and their positive effects on weight loss is Dr. Oz, another appointee to Trump's cabinet (in particular over Medicare and Medicaid) that is staunchly pro-GLP1.
As reported by The Hill, Oz is also pre-
https://thehill.com/newsletters/health-care/5060568-oz-rfk-jr-diverge-on-weight-loss-drugs/
Is RFK's stance just a matter of tactics?
It's important to consider that RFK is not necessarily advocating for a removal of GLP1s as an option, but an emphasis on lifestyle changes and diet changes rather than GLP1 for the vast majority of people.
It remains to be seen whether this will lead to restriction on those that want to purchase GLP1s, at all.
Increasingly, the likelihood of a combination of both approaches (emphasis on lifestyle changes along with the continuing possibility of GLP1 use) seems certain.
