WASHINGTON – A press conference was interrupted on Thursday when a drug executive fainted in the Oval Office while President Donald Trump was announcing a deal with drugmakers to lower the cost of obesity drugs.
What happened?
What we know:
On Thursday, Trump and drugmakers were speaking to the press regarding a deal with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy.
David Ricks, Eli Lilly’s CEO, was giving remarks when he looked to his right and said, “Are you okay? Gordon, are you okay?”
President Donald Trump looks on as Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz and other help Gordon Findlay of Novo Nordisk, who passed out during an event where Trump made a statement on lowering drug prices in
Dr. Mehmet Oz jumped in as drug executive of Novo Nordisk, Gordon Findlay, fell to his knees and collapsed. The press were then ushered out and asked to leave.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, was also in the room when the incident happened.
What they’re saying:
About 30 minutes later, when the press conference resumed, Trump gave an update on Findlay’s health.
“One of the representatives of the companies, of one of these companies, got a little bit lightheaded,” he told the press. “We saw he went down, and he’s fine. They just sent him out, and he’s got doctors here. But he’s fine.”
What we don’t know:
It’s not known at this time what caused the executive to collapse.
Who collapsed in the Oval Office today?
Dig deeper:
Since 2023, Gordon Findlay has been the Global Brand Director for Novo Nordisk, based in Basel, Switzerland.
According to his LinkedIn account, he led global recovery for Norditropin following a severe supply crisis and handles other marketing efforts including new Product Planning, strategic marketing and global marketing.
He has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Kent.
Novo Nordisk disputes claim that any of their executives fainted
What they’re saying:
“Please be aware that CEO Mike Doustdar and EVP, US Operations, Dave Moore were the only two Novo Nordisk representatives in the Oval Office.”
Child faints in Oval Office in April
Big picture view:
Dr. Oz previously helped out at the Oval Office in April, when one of his own family members fainted while he was being sworn in.
While giving comments on the ongoing trade war with China and his continued emphasis on how Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon,” a commotion ensued among the press.
RELATED: Press rushed out of Oval Office during Dr. Oz swearing in ceremony at White House
White House staff could be heard shooing press out of the Oval Office and the president could be heard saying, “I hope she’s okay.”
A woman, who appeared to be Oz’s daughter, Daphne, was seen escorting a young girl away before cameras were cut.
A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the girl was a family member of Oz’s and that she had recovered.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by a press conference live video on Thursday, November 6, 2025. Information about Gordon Findlay was provided by LinkedIn. Previous FOX Local reporting contributed. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
PoliticsU.S.
