INDIANAPOLIS — Pharmaceutical companies are paying thousands of Indiana doctors to talk about GLP-1 drugs, a WRTV Investigation has uncovered.
In a week-long series, WRTV Investigates is digging into the benefits and costs associated with these medications.
WRTV wanted to see how much drug makers are spending on Indiana doctors to advocate for GLP-1s, a practice that is legal.
WRTV Investigates partnered with researchers at the Missouri School of Journalism — Prof. David Herzog, Saurav Rahman and Anna Sago—to analyze Open Payments, the federal database that tracks payments from drug companies to doctors.
The payments are legal and are a matter of public record due to the 2010 Physician Payments Sunshine Act.
Our team found 4,119 Indiana doctors received compensation in 2024 from either Eli Lilly or Novo Nordisk to talk about the drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound and Mounjaro.
Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly manufactures the drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro, while Danish company Novo Nordisk makes Ozempic and Wegovy.
Just for these four GLP-1 medications, drug companies paid $533,492 to Indiana doctors in 2024— the money paid for flights for doctors to speak at conferences, as well as meals, drinks and hotel rooms.
Some Indiana doctors stood out in terms of payments, including Dr. Ernest Asamoah, an endocrinologist with Community Health Network in Indianapolis.
- In 2024, Dr. Asamoah received a total of $43,052 specifically for GLP-1s, including $36,532 from Eli Lilly and $6,520 from Novo Nordisk.
- Dr. James Andry, president of Andry Medical Services in Bloomington, was paid $52,531, including $44,902 from Eli Lilly and $7,629 from Novo Nordisk.
- Dr. Whitney Blakely, a bariatric medicine doctor formerly with Community Health Network, received $53,559 in 2024 including $24,029 from Eli Lilly and $29,640 from Novo Nordisk. (She left Community Health Network in November 2025 to spend more time with her family, according to a spokesperson.)
All three doctors declined to be interviewed or did not respond to our requests for an interview.
Community Health Network provided a statement.
"This practice allows doctors to support innovation by participating in research and consulting with companies, helping to shape new treatments and technologies based on the needs of their patients,” read the statement from Community Health Network. “It also provides an opportunity for professional development as doctors share their expertise and experience, educating others through speaking engagements.”
Dr. Isaiah Pittman received $41,592 related to GLP-1 medications, including $38,854 from Eli Lilly and $2,738 from Novo Nordisk.
Dr. Pittman, an endocrinologist and biochemist, agreed to speak with WRTV Investigates Kara Kenney on camera.
- WRTV Investigates: You were 2nd in the state with 38-thousand dollars from Lilly.
- Dr. Pittman: I would imagine I’d be first, but OK.
Pittman is the founder and CEO of HPW Center for Diabetes, which has locations in multiple states, including Terre Haute and Bloomington.
"I lecture all over the country. I lecture outside of the country,” said Dr. Pittman. “You don’t get to rent my knowledge for nothing.”
Dr. Pittman says he educates other doctors about diabetes and GLP-1 medications.
“We are forming our own lecture series, because knowledge about diabetes is incredibly limited in the healthcare community,” said Dr. Pittman. “So yes, I’m compensated for lecturing for Lilly, for lecturing for Novo.”
WRTV Investigates asked Dr. Pittman if he’s ever seen a drug work this well for diabetes and weight loss.
“No, it hasn’t existed,” said Dr. Pittman.
Pittman says he talks to fellow doctors about the benefits beyond weight loss.
"We’re talking about a medicine that’s been proven to reduce cardiovascular issues by 26 percent, it’s proven to reduce strokes,” said Dr. Pittman.
Novo Nordisk declined an on-camera interview, but in a statement told us, “responsible engagement between pharmaceutical companies and the medical community is good for patients and advances care and science.”
The U.S. government does not require doctors to report the number of prescriptions they write for each drug.
A 2017 Georgetown University-led study found gifts, even small ones like meals, significantly influenced healthcare providers to prescribe more brand-name, costly drugs.
Gifts of any size had an effect on prescribing, and larger gifts elicited a larger impact, according to study findings.
Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman, a professor of Pharmacology at Georgetown University, co-led the 2017 study.
“It has a trickle-down effect,” said Dr. Fugh-Berman. “The fact that these doctors who are taking any gifts, even just a meal from pharmaceutical companies, were prescribing more drugs per patient is extremely concerning."
Dr. Fugh-Berman also directs Pharmed Out, an organization that researches the pharmaceutical industry.
She says patients should look up their own doctor on Open Payments.
“Physicians who receive money from pharmaceutical companies are being influenced by pharmaceutical companies,” said Dr. Fugh-Berman. “That affects the information that they have to give. They are not going to have completely objective information."
Dr. Isaiah Pittman says he does not feel any pressure to write more prescriptions for certain GLP-1 medications.
“If you want to know the truth, I lose money,” said Dr. Pittman. “So, when I go out and do lectures, I lose money. I make much more in clinic than I do doing these lectures. I go out and do these lectures purely for the sake of education."
Dr. Pittman could not tell us how many prescriptions he writes for GLP-1s, but said only about 5 percent of his GLP-1 prescriptions are solely for weight loss.
"If you do a real evaluation and of your average obese patient, you will find that they are actually mild or significant diabetics,” said Dr. Pittman.
Pittman explained he took part in a federal program that paid his tuition.
“An MD PhD our job is to teach, do research, and to see patients,” said Pittman. “We are called a triple threat.”
He understands why patients might be concerned that money from drug companies could sway which prescriptions doctors write.
"It absolutely can if they’re not well versed in the physiology and the science behind those medicines, which I absolutely would agree,” said Dr. Pittman. “That’s what happened with pain medicines and narcotics."
Sue Seyfert is one of Dr. Pittman’s patients.
She has no issue with him accepting money from pharmaceutical companies.
“He is just so dedicated to his patients and other doctors because he’s always doing research,” said Sue. “I respect him for that."
How to Look Up Your Doctor
- Go to https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/
- Click Individual Provider
- Type in your doctor’s name
- Click your doctor’s name in the results
- Filter the data by year, payment type (like travel, meals, consulting fees)
STATEMENT FROM NOVO NORDISK:
“Semaglutide has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs, large real-world-evidence studies and has cumulatively over 33 million patient years of exposure. Semaglutide’s efficacy and safety have been extensively demonstrated in people with obesity/overweight with robust evidence for improving health outcomes. Semaglutide has demonstrated improvements in CV death, stroke and myocardial infarction.
Novo Nordisk believes that the allegations in the lawsuits are without merit, and we intend to vigorously defend against these claims. Patient safety is our top priority at Novo Nordisk, and we work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continuously monitor the safety profile of our medicines. Novo Nordisk remains confident in the benefit-risk profile of our GLP-1 medicines, when used consistent with their indications and product labeling.”
STATEMENT FROM ELI LILLY “Lilly is committed to making life better for people living with diabetes through developing medicines like Mounjaro and Trulicity that change the way healthcare providers can treat this disease. Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority, and we actively engage in monitoring, evaluating, and reporting safety information for all our medicines. Our medicines’ labels include robust, FDA-approved warnings.”
FULL STATEMENT FROM COMMUNITY HEALTH NETWORK:
“Doctors can legally receive money from drug and medical device companies under certain conditions. This includes consulting fees for advising on product development, research grants, speaking or training at educational events, and owner interests in companies. The Physician Payments Sunshine Act mandates that these transactions are reported and available to the public. The Open Payments program provides transparency of these transactions.
This practice allows doctors to support innovation by participating in research and consulting with companies, helping to shape new treatments and technologies based on the needs of their patients. It also provides an opportunity for professional development as doctors share their expertise and experience, educating others through speaking engagements.
Public reporting helps doctors maintain credibility by showing they are transparent about their industry relationships.
