Nine more drugmakers agreed to tie U.S. prices to the lowest paid by peer nations, deepening President Trump’s drive to cut prescription costs.
Story Highlights
- The White House says 26 companies now participate after nine signed on August 31.
- New companies include Alcon, Astellas, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva, and UCB.
- The policy links U.S. prices to the lowest in comparable developed countries.
- Therapies affected include drugs for cancer, Parkinson’s, glaucoma, and hemophilia.
Trump Expands Most-Favored-Nation Deals To 26 Drugmakers
The White House announced nine midsized manufacturers joined President Trump’s Most-Favored-Nation drug pricing framework on August 31. Officials said 17 companies had already agreed before this round, bringing total participation to 26, which the administration says reflects a large share of the branded market.
The new companies are Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and UCB, according to same-day reporting that named each firm.
The Most-Favored-Nation approach links U.S. prices to the lowest paid in comparable developed nations. The White House described the policy in August materials as bringing American prices in line with those peer-country levels, a point it emphasized again with the latest expansion.
This model aims to stop Americans from paying more than patients abroad for the same branded medicines, a goal that has been popular among voters across parties for years.
What The New Round Covers And Why It Matters To Families
Coverage of the announcement said the nine-company expansion touches drugs used to treat hemophilia, Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma, liver disease, cancers, transplants, and infectious diseases.
That breadth means seniors, working parents, and patients with chronic conditions may see lower costs across different parts of care.
Earlier steps under the program included documented price points for weight-loss and diabetes therapies within Medicare, showing how specific categories can receive clear monthly caps under related agreements.
Reuters reporting from the spring detailed parts of the program’s structure, including negotiated terms that paired pricing commitments with incentives such as targeted tariff relief and a direct-to-consumer sales portal, TrumpRx.gov.
Those building blocks helped set the stage for later expansions by giving companies a path to join under known rules. The White House also highlighted earlier that the initial agreement set captured a very large share of branded prescriptions, and it presented the latest growth as pushing participation even higher.
Savings Claims, Timelines, And How The Policy Is Implemented
The administration has framed the Most-Favored-Nation effort as saving more than $600 billion over ten years, reflecting a top-line projection emphasized around the August announcements.
The White House also celebrated a reported 3.1% year-over-year drop in prescription prices, calling it the steepest in more than six decades, and tied that trend to this broader push. While the $600 billion number is a stated projection, the policy’s core mechanism remains straightforward: align U.S. prices with the lowest paid in peer countries.
President Donald Trump announced an expansion of his Most Favored Nation drug pricing initiative on Monday afternoon from the White House.#WGXA #TNND #NationalHeadlineshttps://t.co/BOICmD5EeH
— WGXA (@WGXAnews) September 1, 2026
Some agreements reported earlier carried three-year terms, which means renewals will matter for long-run savings beyond the initial window. For now, the August 31 expansion shows more companies opting into the structure on top of the original group.
For many, the direction is clear: force fair prices through leverage, transparency, and competition, rather than bigger government control. The focus stays on relief at the counter and defending household budgets.
How This Fits The Bigger Fight Over Health Costs
International reference pricing has been debated for years because U.S. list prices often exceed those overseas. Analysts describe the method as simple to explain but complex to execute due to rebates, insurance design, and cross-border differences.
President Trump’s approach uses negotiated agreements to anchor prices to a clear benchmark, pushing manufacturers to match the best deal seen in developed nations. That message resonates with Americans who want fair play and oppose games that punish U.S. patients.
Sources:
washingtontimes.com, detroitnews.com, whitehouse.gov, npr.org, amcp.org, statnews.com, thegatewaypundit.com
