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We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com.<\/strong> <\/p>\nBack to Healio<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nKey takeaways:<\/h2>\n\nTrumpRx\u2019s launch features discounted prices for about 40 medications for conditions like obesity.<\/li>\n Experts expect the website\u2019s impact on drug affordability will be limited unless it addresses certain issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nPresident Donald J. Trump announced the launch of TrumpRx, the direct-to-consumer drug website that features reduced prices for dozens of medications.<\/p>\n
The website \u201cprovides patients with access to a world-class experience for accessing deep discounts on the medicines they need,\u201d according to a White House fact sheet.<\/p>\n
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Patients cannot buy drugs directly from TrumpRx. Instead, the site directs them to manufacturers\u2019 own direct-to-consumer websites or offers coupons that patients can take to pharmacies.<\/p>\n
According to the fact sheet, the website\u2019s launch includes drugs made by the first five manufacturers \u2014 AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer \u2014 to have reached \u201cmost favored nation\u201d (MFN) pricing deals with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n
TrumpRx\u2019s price reductions<\/h2>\n The White House said TrumpRx currently features decreased prices for 40 \u201cof the most popular and expensive branded\u201d medications in the U.S., with \u201chistoric price reductions\u201d for several increasingly used weight loss drugs.<\/p>\n
Specifically:<\/p>\n
\nthe price of Ozempic (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk) will drop from $1,028 to $350;<\/li>\n the price of injectable Wegovy (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk) will decrease from $1,349 to as low as $199;<\/li>\n the monthly price of the Wegovy pill will drop from $1,349 to as low as $149; and<\/li>\n the price of Zepbound (tirzepatide, Eli Lilly) will decrease from $1,088 to an average price of $346 and as low as $299.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThese price reductions depend on dosage strengths, according to the White House.<\/p>\n
Fertility medications will also see price drops through TrumpRx.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany patients struggling with infertility pay for their medicines out-of-pocket, meaning they will stand to save more than $2,000 per cycle of fertility drugs, on average,\u201d the White House said.<\/p>\n
For instance, the prices of Cetrotide (cetrorelix acetate injection, EMD Serono) and Ovidrel (choriogonadotropin alfa injection, EMD Serono) will fall from $316 and $251 to $22.50 and $84, respectively.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the price of Gonal-F (follitropin alfa injection, EMD Serono) will fall to as low as $168 per pen, the fact sheet said.<\/p>\n
Among other high-cost drugs with price reductions include:<\/p>\n
\nBevespi Aerosphere (glycopyrrolate and formoterol fumarate, AstraZeneca), an inhaler used to treat COPD, which will drop from $458 to $51;<\/li>\n Eucrisa (crisaborole, Pfizer), a topical ointment for atopic dermatitis, which will drop from $792 to $158;<\/li>\n Airsupra (albuterol\/budesonide, AstraZeneca), an inhaler for asthma symptoms and attacks, which will drop from $504 to $201;<\/li>\n Duavee (conjugated estrogens\/bazedoxifene, Pfizer), a drug used to prevent osteoporosis and treat hot flashes, which will drop from $202 to $30; and<\/li>\n Insulin lispro (Humalog, Eli Lilly), which will be available for as low as $25 monthly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAccording to a Pfizer press release, insured or uninsured patients who choose to self-pay outside of insurance \u201cwill be offered savings that range as high as 85%, and on average 50%,\u201d for most of the manufacturer\u2019s treatments and select specialty brands through the TrumpRx platform.<\/p>\n
The White House said that additional drugs from other companies that have signed MFN deals will be made available through TrumpRx \u201cin the coming months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unfulfilled promises<\/h2>\n It is still unclear how much of an impact TrumpRx will have on drug affordability. Experts have said that most patients with health insurance will likely benefit more from going through their insurance rather than TrumpRx, but the site could be particularly helpful for patients seeking drugs that are not often covered by insurance, such as weight-loss drugs and IVF treatment.<\/p>\n
Only 15 states currently require IVF coverage, according to Leah E. Chapman, PhD, MPH, founder and executive director of the Women’s Health Research & Action Center.<\/p>\n
Sean Tipton,<\/b> the chief advocacy and policy officer of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said in a statement that \u201cthere is no question that lower drug costs will be helpful for patients navigating fertility treatment.\u201d But \u201cthis move alone does not make IVF attainable for most patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that \u201cfertility drugs represent only one portion of the overall cost of care, and patients without good insurance coverage continue to face significant out-of-pocket expenses. President Trump has repeatedly promised to make IVF universally accessible. This announcement does not fulfill that promise. Meaningful progress requires policies that ensure all Americans who need medical assistance to build their families can access that care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similarly for weight-loss drugs, Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, MACP, FAAP, FAHA, FAMWA, FTOS,<\/b> an obesity medicine physician scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told Healio she expects \u201cthe impact on true affordability to be limited unless the platform meaningfully addresses insurance coverage exclusions and prior authorization barriers. Notably, the prices currently listed for obesity medications appear comparable to existing manufacturer list prices already publicly available through programs such as NovoCare for Wegovy and Lilly\u2019s site for Zepbound, suggesting little to no improvement in affordability for obesity treatment, despite obesity being the most prevalent chronic disease affecting patients in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stanford\u2019s primary concerns about the TrumpRx platform are whether it \u201cwill translate into actionable savings for patients with obesity and whether it adequately accounts for chronic-use medications.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that \u201cfocusing on list prices without tackling payer policies could create the perception of progress without materially improving patient access, continuity of care or long-term adherence. Obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease, and medications used to treat it should be treated no differently than therapies for hypertension or diabetes. Any national drug-pricing initiative should explicitly include and prioritize obesity medications to avoid perpetuating stigma, inequity and structural barriers to evidence-based care.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information:<\/h2>\n Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, MACP, FAAP, FAHA, FAMWA, FTOS,<\/b> can be reached through Olivia Caldwell, executive assistant to Dr. Stanford, at assistant@askdrfatima.com. <\/p>\n\n
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Sources\/Disclosures<\/h3>\n Source: <\/h2>\n
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