Trump gives drugmakers 60 days to slash prescription drug prices [View all]

Source: NBC News

July 31, 2025, 4:13 PM EDT


President Donald Trump sent letters to more than a dozen major drugmakers Thursday demanding that they lower the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. within 60 days. In the letters — which Trump published on his social media platform Truth Social — the drugmakers were told to offer the “full portfolio” of their existing medications to Medicaid patients at the same prices paid abroad, also known as the “most favored nation” rule.

He also told drugmakers to “guarantee” that patients on Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance get the same lower prices that are paid abroad for all newly approved drugs “both upon launch and moving forward.” He also demanded that drugmakers return any additional revenues earned abroad to U.S. taxpayers, and create a “direct to consumer” option for certain medications that would also be offered at lower prices.

”Make no mistake: a collaborative effort towards achieving global pricing parity would be the most effective path for companies, the government, and American patients,” Trump wrote in the letters. ”But if you refuse to step up, we will deploy every tool in our arsenal to protect American families from continued abusive drug pricing practices.”

It’s unclear, experts say, whether Trump has the authority to force drugmakers to lower the cost of their prescription drugs without the help of Congress.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-prescription-drug-prices-lower-medicaid-executive-order-rcna222308