President Donald Trump on Thursday launched TrumpRx, a website designed to connect consumers with discounted prescription drug prices. The initiative, a key component of the administration’s efforts to lower healthcare costs, allows patients to access savings on select medications by utilizing coupons or direct-to-consumer offers from pharmaceutical companies.
While the launch has been touted as a significant step towards affordability, the extent to which TrumpRx will benefit all Americans remains uncertain. The platform primarily targets individuals paying cash for their medications, potentially offering the most substantial savings to those without insurance or with limited coverage. The administration emphasized that millions of Americans could save money through the platform, but acknowledged that the impact on those with comprehensive insurance plans may be less pronounced.
The website doesn’t directly sell drugs. Instead, it serves as a portal directing patients to drug manufacturers offering discounts through their own direct-to-consumer programs or providing coupon codes redeemable at participating pharmacies. For example, accessing information on the platform for Eli Lilly’s Zepbound weight loss injection redirects users to LillyDirect, where they can place orders and submit prescriptions.
The launch follows months of negotiations between the Trump administration and pharmaceutical companies, resulting in agreements from at least 14 manufacturers to participate in the program and offer discounted prices on certain drugs, particularly to Medicaid patients. These deals are rooted in the administration’s “most favored nation” policy, which aims to align U.S. Drug prices with the lowest prices available in other developed countries.
Currently, TrumpRx features medications from AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer. The administration plans to expand the list to include drugs from other companies in the coming months. The initial focus is on 40 of the most popular and expensive branded medicines in the nation, with a particular emphasis on treatments for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other chronic illnesses.
Significant price reductions are being highlighted for Ozempic and Wegovy, both Novo Nordisk drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity. The monthly price of Ozempic is now available starting at $350, down from around $1,000, while Wegovy’s price has been reduced to as low as $199 per month, compared to its previous cost of $1,349. Discounts are also available for fertility drugs like Gonal-F from EMD Serono, listed at $168.
However, experts caution that the savings offered through TrumpRx may not be universally applicable. Juliette Cubanski, deputy director of the program on Medicare Policy at KFF, noted that individuals with insurance coverage who already benefit from relatively affordable copays may not find significant additional savings through the platform. Purchases made through direct-to-consumer platforms may not count towards a patient’s insurance deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.
Cubanski also pointed out that the cash prices advertised on TrumpRx are often compared to the drugs’ list prices, which are typically higher than the prices already negotiated by insurers and government programs through rebates and discounts. Research from Georgetown’s Medicare Policy Initiative indicates that average discounts on brand-name drugs in Medicare Part D are around 40% of list price, while Medicaid discounts exceed 75%.
Despite these caveats, there is potential for TrumpRx to expand access to affordable medications, particularly for drugs not widely covered by insurance, such as obesity treatments. Medicare is set to begin covering weight loss treatments later this year as a result of agreements between the administration and Lilly and Novo Nordisk, but many employers remain hesitant to include these drugs in their coverage plans.
The launch of TrumpRx comes as the U.S. Continues to grapple with the highest prescription drug prices among developed nations. The Rand Corporation estimates that U.S. Drug prices are two to three times higher than those in other countries, and up to ten times higher in some cases.
Several pharmaceutical companies have expressed support for the initiative. Chris Boerner, CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb, stated in a recent interview that the company is aligned with the administration’s goal of simplifying the U.S. Healthcare system and reducing costs. Bristol Myers Squibb already offers a cash-pay discount on its blood thinner Eliquis through its own direct-to-consumer platform, which will eventually link to TrumpRx. The company plans to explore expanding the program to additional products in its portfolio.
Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks echoed this sentiment, stating that TrumpRx is “taking” the company’s existing direct-to-consumer model and expanding it across the industry. Lilly was the first drugmaker to offer obesity treatments directly to patients, and Ricks believes the platform will help make these medications more accessible.
The long-term impact of TrumpRx remains to be seen, but the launch represents a significant effort by the administration to address the issue of high prescription drug costs and provide consumers with more options for accessing affordable medications.
