Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent critic of the food and pharmaceutical industries, discussed his views regarding GLP-1 weight loss drugs in a televised broadcast.
Kennedy, who was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said that lifestyle changes — specifically healthy eating and avoiding obesity — should be the primary approach to weight management.
Kennedy said GLP-1 drugs should be limited to a secondary role, in the broadcast.
Drugs with a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) classification such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic and Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro, help in the regulation of digestion, appetite, and sugar which aid in weight loss.
Kennedy's comments about GLP-1 weight loss drugs attracted the attention of Wall Street, especially since he has voiced concerns about the popularity of these drugs and their impact on public health.
After his nomination in November, Pfizer, a vaccine maker, stock fell by 2.6%, along with BioNTech (7.1%) and Moderna (5.6%) amid Kennedy's publicized disdain for vaccinations.
Kennedy, a staunch vaccine skeptic, once felt the wrath of his famous family members after they "united" against his "dangerous" views on health, said cousin, Caroline Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Australia.
He previously argued that weight loss drugs, like Ozempic, do not address the root causes of obesity; instead, they solely benefit pharmaceutical companies.
Kennedy has also suggested putting a limit on drug prices, which would include medications like Ozempic, and critiqued the influence of "Big Pharma" on healthcare.
Kennedy's nomination to head HHS has raised questions about potential policy shifts regarding the regulation and pricing of medications.
Investors are closely watching his stance on weight loss drugs like GLP-1s, as some analysts anticipate the market for these medications could exceed $100 billion by 2030.
In November, despite slamming the president's diet as "just poison," RFK Jr. was caught days later in a photo released of him and Elon Musk sharing a McDonald's meal with Trump.
