Trump cuts drug price deal with Regeneron
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President Trump on Thursday announced a drug pricing deal with Regeneron — the last of 17 manufacturers the administration pressured last year to commit to his "most favored nation" policy.
Why it matters: The deals with the other companies to lower certain drug prices are being touted as one of the administration's signature health accomplishments, though Democrats question whether the confidential arrangements are really helping consumers.
Driving the news: Like other deals, the agreement calls for lower prices for certain drugs offered to Medicaid, as well as to patients paying cash through the TrumpRx website.
- Trump claimed the deal amounts to "the biggest cut in drug prices in the history of our country, by many percentage points."
- Department of Health and Human Services chief counselor Chris Klomp said the combined deals now cover 86% of branded pharmaceuticals.
- "We are negotiating with the many hundreds of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies representing that other 14%, that are building the cures for tomorrow," he said.
Reality check: Policy experts have noted the price concessions aren't likely to significantly affect companies' bottom lines since Medicaid drug prices are already low.
- The discounts also largely do not apply to people on private insurance or Medicare — the sources of coverage for most Americans.
- Democrats have been calling for details of the agreements to be released, saying the confidential terms make it impossible to evaluate what the administration agreed to.
What we're watching: While Regeneron is the last of the companies that received letters from the Trump administration, smaller biotechs could opt to cut their own deals in exchange for exemptions from looming pharmaceutical tariffs.
Editor's note: The story has been updated with additional reporting.
