Faster FDA Reviews Cut Red Tape, But Critics Wonder at What Cost

In November, what was supposed to be a marquee announcement of lower prices for the blockbuster weight-loss drugs from Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co. went viral for the wrong reason: An onlooker collapsed in the Oval Office, and it was captured on livestream. The episode ricocheted across social media and into late-night monologues, with millions of viewers who’d skipped the original announcement tuning in to rewatch the almost made-for-TV fainting clip.

Far less attention was paid to the substance of the event. But for informed viewers, it was equally dramatic. After the commotion subsided, US Food and ...