I Sat Down with the Senator Behind Connecticut’s GLP-1 Patent Challenge

Get the inside scoop on the plan to make state owned GLP-1

A few days ago, I told you about the groundbreaking move out of Connecticut.

The state passed a bipartisan prescription drug bill with one buried clause that could shake the foundation of drug pricing in America. If approved by the federal government, Connecticut may become the first state to manufacture its own GLP-1 medications like Ozempic.

Since that article dropped, a lot of you asked one question.

Who actually made this happen?

Today I have the answer, and the interview.

👇 Watch the full interview with Senator Matt Lesser here:

I sat down with the senator who spearheaded the effort, Matt Lesser, for a full conversation about the bill, what it unlocks, and what it signals for the future of GLP-1 access.

Senator Lesser explained how the idea came out of necessity. Connecticut is spending over $150 million a year on GLP-1 medications across its Medicaid program, correctional system, and employee health plans. They are required to cover these drugs by law, but they are not receiving a dime of help from the federal government.

So they looked at the budget, looked at the laws, and asked a bold question: can we make these drugs ourselves?

They found a federal provision that allows the government to override drug patents if it serves the public interest. And while a few states have made noise about this idea before, Connecticut put it into law.

It was not a partisan stunt. Lesser reached out to Republicans immediately after the election and started building consensus around one thing nearly everyone agrees on, prescription drug prices are out of control.

What came out of that collaboration is a bill that does three things:

• It allows Connecticut to petition the federal government to bypass patents and produce GLP-1 medications

• It directs the state to pursue centralized drug contracts and explore partnerships with other states

• It creates a path to inform doctors when generics become available and push adoption at scale

We talked about the legal theory, the policy strategy, and the bigger question this opens up. If a state can override a patent to serve public health, why stop at GLP-1s?

Could other states benefit from Connecticut’s production if the federal government approves it? Possibly. That part is still unclear. But if this model works, it will not stay in Connecticut for long.

This was not a press release. This was an actual law passed with bipartisan support. And today, I talked to the man who helped write it.

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