Trump touts drug-pricing pacts with these 9 pharma manufacturers
President Donald Trump on Aug. 31 announced deals with another nine pharmaceutical manufacturers, bringing to 26 the total number of pricing deals he said will lower U.S. drug prices to levels paid by other nations.
The Trump administration said Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and UCB signed voluntary pacts to lower drug prices. With the deals in place, the Trump administration said it has negotiated deals to lower prices of 89% of brand name drugs.
The nine drugmakers have agreed to sell drugs to state Medicaid programs at "most favored nation" prices that are on par with what other nations pay for the same medications. The manufacturers make drugs that target conditions such as glaucoma, hemophilia, liver disease, macular degeneration, Parkinson's disease, skin conditions and some types of cancer.
Over the past 11 months, Trump has announced deals with another 17 drug manufacturers that it sent letters to in 2025 seeking price concessions on brand-name drugs. Trump announced the first most favored nation deal with Pfizer on Sept. 30, 2025, and deals trickled in over the following months until April when Regeneron reached a deal with the Trump administration.
While Trump has touted these deals as cost-saving moves for consumers during Oval Office announcements , the administration hasn't publicly released terms of the voluntary agreements. The administration's drug-pricing website, TrumpRx.gov, lists prices on dozens of brand-name fertility, insulin, weight loss and other medications. The website directs cash-paying consumers to drug manufacturers' websites or coupons that can be used at pharmacies. The site does not process insurance claims, and most people use their health insurance plan's drug benefits when filling prescriptions.
The drugmakers have negotiated these deals with the Trump administration to avoid future tariffs, and Trump on Aug. 31 said he expects the remaining brand name drugmakers will sign because they "have no choice."
In May, the Trump administration added about 600 generic medications to the direct-to-consumer website as part of his administration's bid to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The government website directed people to private-sector online pharmacies and drug-pricing websites, including entrepreneur Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs, Amazon Pharmacy and GoodRx.
In August, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, demanded that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. make public details of drug-pricing deals with pharmaceutical companies that list medicines on TrumpRx.
Drug pricing watchdogs said they want to see permanent fixes to lower drug prices rather than voluntary negotiated deals.
Merith Basey, CEO of Patients for Affordable Drugs, said pharmaceutical companies for decades have charged consumers too much for brand name drugs. She said patients need "systemic reforms that will lower drug prices, not short-term, voluntary agreements whose terms remain secret."
"The deals announced today focus on Medicaid, where steep discounts already exist, and even then, states can choose whether to participate," Basey said. "Lasting relief requires transparent, enforceable measures that hold big drug companies accountable."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump touts drug-pricing pacts with these 9 pharma manufacturers
