Trump calls price reductions on prescription drugs within 60 days in letters to Eli Lilly, Pfizer, other drug manufacturers
President Donald Trump has sent letters to more than a dozen major drug manufacturers to demand that they drop the cost of prescription drugs in the United States within 60 days.
In the letters – that Trump published on his social media platform Truth Social – the drug manufacturers were invited to offer the “full portfolio” of their existing drugs to Medicaid patients at the same prices paid abroad, also known as the “most favored” rule.
He also told drug manufacturers to “guarantee” that patients on Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance obtain the same prices lower than paid abroad for all newly approved drugs “both at launch and in the future”.
He also demanded that pharmacie manufacturers refer additional income earned abroad to American taxpayers and create a “direct to consumer” option for certain drugs that would also be offered at lower prices.
“Make no mistake: a collaboration effort to reach the world price parity would be the most effective way for American companies, government and patients,” Trump wrote in letters. “But if you refuse to intensify, we will deploy all the tools of our arsenal to protect American families against the pricing practices of continuous abusive drugs.”
It is not known, according to experts, if Trump has the power to force drug manufacturers to reduce the cost of their prescription drugs without the help of the congress.
In addition, any attempt to do so is likely to meet a fierce decline in the pharmaceutical industry.
“It can take more than a difficult letter from the president to motivate the pharmaceutical industry to lower its prices,” said Tricia Neuman, executive director of the KFF Medicare policy, a non -partisan health policies research group.
“The voluntary approach has not worked so far to reduce the prices of drugs,” she added. “Prices for drugs tend to drop when they are forced by law or in response to competition.”
Trump has complained several times – during the two terms – that people in the United States pay much more for prescription drugs than people from other countries.
Indeed, the prices of prescription drugs in the United States are notoriously high – up to 10 times more than in other countries of similar size and wealth, according to Rand Corp., a group of reflection on public policy.
In the United States, more than 3 out of 4 adults say that the cost of drugs is unaffordable, according to a KFF survey.
In May, Trump signed an executive decree asking federal health officials to renew an effort to implement the “most favored nation” rule – a strategy that he continued without success during his first mandate.
The 17 letters were sent to major drug manufacturers such as Eli Lilly, GSK, Pfizer, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk and Novartis on Thursday.
NBC News contacted the 17 companies to comment.
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said that the company “remains focused on improving access and affordability of patients, and that we will continue to work to find solutions that help people access the drug they need.”
A spokesperson for Eli Lilly said the company was still examining the letter and returned NBC News to the Lobbying group of the pharmaceutical industry, Phrma, for comments.
Phrma did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
The Trump administration has another tool available to reducing the cost of prescription drugs: Medicare medication pricing negotiations.
Signed by President Joe Biden through the law on inflation reduction, the provision allows Medicare to negotiate prices on the most expensive drugs.
It is estimated that the first series of negotiations allowing Medicare $ 6 billion in 2026, when prices should come into force.
CORRECTION (July 31, 2025, 17:14 he): a previous version of this article disturbed which pharmaceutical company said that it was reviewing Trump’s letter. It’s Eli Lilly, not Johnson & Johnson.
