Following President Donald Trump’s call to lower drug prices and cut out middlemen such as pharmacies, insurance companies, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), several pharmaceutical companies have announced plans to sell medications directly to patients in the United States and offer discounts.
The Trump administration announced on Tuesday, September 30, that it plans to launch a government-operated website called “TrumpRx.gov” in early 2026 to provide discounted prescription drugs.
Currently, patients in the United States pay the highest prescription drug costs globally, typically nearly three times higher than in other developed countries. In July, Trump wrote to 17 major companies requesting significant reductions in drug prices in the U.S.
According to Reuters, the following pharmaceutical companies have recently announced plans to sell drugs directly to consumers in the U.S. and reduce prices:
Pfizer and President Trump announced an agreement where the American pharmaceutical company will lower drug prices in the Medicaid program to match charges in other developed countries in exchange for tariff exemptions.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla stated that the company will invest $70 billion in research and domestic manufacturing, with a three-year grace period where its products will be shielded from U.S. drug tariffs.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) announced it will launch a new website in January called “AmericasMedicines.com” to help patients purchase prescription drugs directly from manufacturers.
Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk announced in August that they will offer diabetes drug Ozempic to eligible type 2 diabetes patients in the U.S. for $499 per month through their own pharmacy, remote medical service GoodRx, and other platforms.
Novo Nordisk had previously partnered with remote healthcare companies Hims & Hers, Ro, and LifeMD to sell weight loss drug Wegovy to U.S. self-pay customers.
Eli Lilly announced in June plans to sell the highest doses of popular weight loss drug Zepbound directly to self-paying customers through their website starting in August.
AstraZeneca revealed last Friday that they will sell their diabetes and asthma medications directly to U.S. self-paying patients with discounts of up to 70% off list prices.
French pharmaceutical company Sanofi stated last Friday that they will provide a month’s supply of any insulin product to U.S. patients with a valid prescription for $35, regardless of insurance coverage.
Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker suggested in July that the company is considering selling prescription drugs directly to consumers in the U.S. as part of negotiations with the government to lower patient costs.
Zealand Pharma’s CEO mentioned in September that they are considering selling their experimental weight loss drug directly to patients, alongside traditional insurance channels, in partnership with Roche.
Bristol-Myers Squibb announced in September they will reduce the prices of blood clot treatment drug Eliquis and plaque psoriasis drug Sotyktu for qualifying U.S. patients, offering an 80% discount for the latter.
Women’s telemedicine provider Wisp expanded their weight management product offerings in September, including sales and home delivery of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s popular medications without insurance requirements.
Wisp priced Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro at $598, $558, and $489 per month respectively, which includes consultation, monthly follow-up services, and home delivery.
AbbVie stated on Monday that following Trump’s call for pharmaceutical companies to offer “most-favored nation” pricing in the U.S., they will launch ovarian cancer drug Elahere in the UK at prices equivalent to the U.S.
Additionally, a top official from a major Swiss chemical and pharmaceutical industry association mentioned on Wednesday that Swiss pharmaceutical companies are likely to follow Pfizer’s lead in reaching pricing agreements with the U.S. after Trump’s push to lower drug prices.
Stephan Mumenthaler, the Director General of Scienceindustries representing around 250 Swiss chemical and pharmaceutical companies, told Reuters that he expects Swiss and global pharmaceutical companies to announce a series of “mini deals” in the coming days and weeks. Aside from Roche, two other Swiss pharma companies have shown strong commitments and are poised to receive tariff exemptions.
Novartis announced this week they will launch a direct-to-patient platform in the U.S. starting in November, offering a 55% discount on specific units of anti-inflammatory drug Cosentyx for self-paying patients and expanding the platform to cover other products later.
Novartis has committed to finding solutions to lower costs for Americans and address price discrepancies between the U.S. and other high-income countries.
As major pharmaceutical companies promise increased production in the U.S., Lonza expects to receive tariff exemptions on imported drugs like Novartis and Roche.