Trump announces deal with Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk to lower prices on obesity drugs

 The Trump administration announced its newest pharmaceutical agreement under its Most Favored Nation policy Thursday, striking deals with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to sell their GLP-1 products at discounted prices. 

According to senior administration officials, the two manufacturers have agreed to sell their injectable GLP-1 products for a monthly starting price starting of $245 for people on Medicare and Medicaid, as well as those who use the TrumpRX platform expected to launch early next year. 

Oral GLP-1s will also be sold through the same avenues at a starting price of $149 per month. A senior administration official said, however, that this price will only apply to GLP-1 tablets that are “currently under review that will be approved for obesity” and will not apply to Rybelsus, which is currently the only oral GLP-1 approved by the Food and Drug Administration. 

“The savings generated by these price reductions will then be used to provide new coverage for GLP-1s to patients with obesity, the high metabolic or cardiovascular risk, again, all at the same $245 per month,” a senior administration official said. 

An administration official estimated about 10 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will be eligible for expanded access to GLP-1 drugs.

Medicare is legally prohibited from covering obesity medications, though it can cover GLP-1s indicated for heart conditions. Administration officials did not say how the federal program would be able to cover the GLP-1 drugs that are currently indicated solely for diabetes and obesity.

Administration officials specified that these prices are separate from the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Novo Nordisk’s well-known GLP-1 Ozempic was chosen for Medicare negotiation at the start of this year.

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5593083-trump-administration-glp-1-novo-nordisk-eli-lilly/

Novo Nordisk raises Metsera bid again, hoping to top Pfizer's latest offer

 Novo has once again upped its bid for Metsera, according to sources familiar with the matter, in an effort to beat out a raised Pfizer offer

https://endpoints.news/novo-raises-bid-again-to-top-pfizers-latest-offer-for-metsera/

Senseonics down as 2025 guidance trails consensus

 Senseonics (SENS) stock falls as the company posts strong Q3 growth but set its 2025 revenue outlook below consensus. 

https://seekingalpha.com/news/4517491-senseonics-stock-down-guidance-trails-consensus

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) says VK2735 cut weight up to 14.7% in 13 weeks

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) presented exploratory Phase 2 VENTURE data for subcutaneous VK2735 at ObesityWeek 2025 showing improvements in cardiometabolic status after 13 weeks.

Key findings: 78% of VK2735-treated prediabetic patients shifted to normoglycemic vs 29% placebo (p=0.0008); 68% of patients with metabolic syndrome no longer met criteria vs 38% placebo (p=0.02). Up to 14.7% mean body-weight reduction and up to 88% achieved ≥10% weight loss; most drug-related TEAEs (92%) were mild or moderate. Viking also highlighted the Phase 3 VANQUISH-1 trial design.

https://www.stocktitan.net/news/VKTX/viking-therapeutics-highlights-clinical-data-from-vk2735-obesity-24si75txs8pb.html

US Voters Approve $12 Billion of Borrowing for Municipalities

 

Americans appear to have passed at least $12 billion of state and local government borrowing during Tuesday’s election, according to preliminary vote tallies of S&P Global Market Intelligence data analyzed by Bloomberg.

Approved measures include a $1.9 billion referendum for Columbus, Ohio, to finance affordable housing and a $1.4 billion school renovation proposal in a district near Dallas.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-06/us-voters-approve-12-billion-of-borrowing-for-municipalities

Chief Justice Roberts Urged To Probe Lower Court Judges' Political Outbursts

 Via American Greatness,

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) have sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts, calling for investigation of partisan statements by activist judges.

Dozens of lower court judges are accused of making anonymous statements to the New York Times for an article it published titled “Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders.”

The lawmakers point to remarks by lower court federal judges who called Supreme Court emergency orders “mystical” and “overly blunt” while describing tensions in the judiciary as a “war zone” and telling the press that they were in a “judicial crisis.”

The Judiciary Committee chairmen express concern that inflammatory comments from lower court judges cast doubt on the judiciary’s integrity and impartiality and could be a violation of the judges’ ethical obligations.

The lawmakers wrote: “We are deeply concerned that these public attacks on the Court from sitting federal judges damage the public’s faith and confidence in our judicial system. When judges call into question the legitimacy of their own branch of government, they erode faith in the institution itself.”

According to the ethical canons contained in the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, federal judges are bound to “uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary” in Canon 1 of the Code of Conduct.

Canon 2(A) states that “[a] judge . . . should act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.”

Canon 3(A)(6) states: “[a] judge should not make public comment on the merits of a matter pending or impending in any court.”

Grassley and Jordan also asked Roberts whether, as presiding officer of the Judicial Conference of the U.S., he agrees that these anonymous comments are undermining public confidence in the courts and whether the judges making those statements have been cautioned about their behavior.

The letter from the Judiciary Committee chairmen also ask Roberts if guidance has been provided to these anonymous judges and whether he plans to provide such guidance as well as whether the judicial branch intends to investigate this type of conduct.

Grassley and Jordan wrote to Roberts: “We urge you to consider the appropriateness of these public yet anonymous comments and whether they breach the ethical obligations of all federal judges. While we do not yet know the full extent of the comments or who the judges are, we remain convinced that judges should not be going to the press to undermine and denigrate the Supreme Court.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/chief-justice-roberts-urged-probe-lower-court-judges-political-outbursts

"There's A Plan": Group Of Centrist Democrats Want Colleagues To End Shutdown

 A group of eight centrist Democrats who want to end the government shutdown - now the longest in US history - have been approaching their colleagues about a deal to reopen the federal government this week or next week, however progressives within the party are pushing back hard, according to The Hill, citing people familiar with the discussions.

To refresh your memory, the crux of the shutdown is that Democrats want to extend pandemic-era Obamacare enhancements, which include coverage for illegals - and they're unwilling to kick the can down the road with a "clean" (free of new pork) continuing resolution while congress debates a larger package (again).

According to one senator, the centrist Democrats include Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) - and apparently have the 'contours of a deal' and are "whipping" more of their colleagues to sign on. 

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) has reportedly signaled that she would likely support such a deal, which would include a plan to pass regular appropriations bills, as well as a vote on extending expiring health insurance subsidies (which were always meant to be temporary during the pandemic). 

The deal would also create a path for approving an appropriations package to fund part of the federal government through 2026, and would guarantee Democrats a vote in the Senate on extending the enhanced Obamacare provisions.

"There’s a plan, we’ve all kind of semiagreed to it and we’re now seeing not whether [Senate Democratic Leader Chuck] Schumer will support it but whether he will not blow it up," one senator told the outlet. 

Senate Democrats met for more than two hours at lunch Tuesday to discuss the parameters of the emerging deal.

One person familiar with Tuesday’s heated discussion within the caucus says there appears to be at least eight Democratic votes to reopen the government — even though progressive Democratic senators vented their frustration with the potential deal. -The Hill

"To me, it looked like there were eight votes, but it could change. There’s a lot to think about," one senator told the outlet. 

If Shaheen, Peters and Hassan do vote for a short-term spending deal, GOP leaders would only need two more votes to reopen the government. 

That said, since Rand Paul (R-KY) has repeatedly voted against a House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government through Nov. 21, and GOP leaders will need eight Democrats to cross the aisle. 

They've already got the support of Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Angus King (I-ME), who have all repeatedly voted in favor of the bill.

Other Democrats who have been involved in talks with Shaheen and Peters are Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who faces a competitive reelection next year, and Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

Slotkin, however, signaled to reporters Tuesday that she wants to see a solution to rising healthc are costs as part of any agreement to fund the government.

“When there’s a deal and we get something on health care, I’ll be ready to reopen the government,” she said.  -The Hill

Yet, progressives want Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to 'use his personal influence' to dissuade the coalition of centrist Dems from reopening the government. 

Of note, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said that any proposal that would extend Obamacare subsidies would need 60 votes in the Senate - ruling out the possibility of passing such a provision with a simple-majority vote. 

Meanwhile, 47% of Polymarket bettors think we're in for another 10 days of this, minimum. 

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/theres-plan-group-centrist-democrats-want-colleagues-end-shutdown