“WASHINGTON -- President Trump unveiled plans Tuesday to launch a government-run website for consumers to buy drugs directly from manufacturers, and he said Pfizer plans to offer some of its drugs on the site at a reduced rate.
Separately, Trump said Pfizer would offer all of its drugs to Medicaid at a reduced, "most favored nation" price, as well as introduce any new drugs to the U.S. market at the reduced prices. In return, the company gains a three-year grace period to exempt it from national-security-related tariffs, as long as the company invests in domestic manufacturing, the company said.
"The American consumers have been subsidizing research-and-development costs for the entire planet," Trump said in the Oval Office, flanked by top health officials and Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla.
Shares of big drugmakers shot higher Tuesday, with Pfizer's stock rising 6.8%.
The developments deliver on a priority Trump has emphasized since his first term: lowering drug prices. The moves followed Trump's call in a July letter for pharmaceutical companies to participate in a direct-to-consumer drug-buying platform, and to offer "most favored nation" pricing -- commonly understood as prices lower or comparable to those in other developed nations.
The new website, dubbed TrumpRx, would allow people to pay cash for certain drugs at a discounted price negotiated by the government. Senior administration officials said the site is still being worked on and that they hope to launch it in early 2026. Trump said the site would be operated by the government. Pfizer, in a written statement, referred to the website as TrumpRx.gov.
It is unclear how many drugs in total would be offered, but the White House said some drugs included would be: Eucrisa, a dermatitis treatment; Xeljanz, a pill for rheumatoid arthritis; and Zavzpret, a treatment for migraines. The company said some terms remain confidential.
Trump, a Republican, said Pfizer had agreed to offer some of its most popular drugs on the platform at steep discounts, between 50% and 100% off. Pfizer said the majority of its "primary care treatments and some select specialty brands will be offered at savings that will range as high as 85% and on average 50%."
The Trump Rx website would allow customers to search for a specific drug, then would direct users to a manufacturer direct-to-consumer site where it could be purchased, senior administration officials said.
For Pfizer, the agreement with the White House brings more certainty to issues that have been hanging over it and other drugmakers: the threat of tariffs and the pressure to cut prices. Pfizer's concessions might have only a limited impact on its sales and profit, and serve as a blueprint for similar White House deals with other drugmakers.
"It's a win for American patients, a win for American leadership, and it's a win for Pfizer because it provides the certainty and stability we need to continue advancing new breakthrough medicines for patients," Pfizer spokeswoman Amy Rose said.
Pfizer and other drugmakers already provide significant discounts on drugs sold to Medicaid patients, so prices based on international pricing might not be much lower. And the customer base for drugs sold at a discount through TrumpRx might be relatively small because most people have health insurance that comes with lower out-of-pocket costs.
Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Carter Gould noted that Pfizer didn't change any of its financial guidance in light of the deal, suggesting the changes wouldn't dent its financial performance. "This appears largely benign," Gould wrote in a research note.
Drug-pricing expert Rena Conti, an associate professor at Boston University's Questrom School of Business, said Xeljanz and other drugs mentioned by the White House as part of the new platform already have generous patient-assistance programs from Pfizer and face stiff pricing competition.
Trump said his administration is working with other companies to soon secure "similar agreements," mentioning Eli Lilly by name.
Senior administration officials framed the negotiations with drugmakers as an effort to equalize prices paid by U.S. customers and people in other developed nations, many of which have single payer healthcare systems that negotiate drug prices with manufacturers.
The officials said the U.S. Trade Representative and Commerce Department would press other countries to pay more for drugs, and that Pfizer had committed to sharing some of that increased revenue with U.S. taxpayers, likely by offering enhanced discounts to Medicare patients.
Pfizer also announced a $70 billion investment on research and development and manufacturing medications in the U.S.
BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan David Seigerman said much of that spending might already have been planned, but it should help to ingratiate the company with the administration.
Trump declared last week that branded drugs would face 100% tariffs if their manufacturers aren't building facilities in the U.S. "I said if we don't make a deal, we're going to tariff them an extra 5, 6, 7, 8 percent," Trump said of negotiations with drug companies.
Bourla credited the tariff threats with motivating the deal. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said drugmakers who offer price concessions or move manufacturing to the U.S. would be eligible for his agency's new voucher program that speeds drug approvals.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Trump helped spur the agreement with Pfizer, including phone calls to health officials urging them to negotiate. "This is something Democrats have wanted for 20 years, Republicans have wanted for 20 years," he said. Republicans previously accused Democrats of enacting "socialist price controls" for passing government negotiations for some Medicare drugs in former President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.
Trump also signed an executive order Tuesday designed to deploy artificial intelligence to help treat childhood cancer. The order includes a $50 million investment through the Department of Health and Human Services and a call for research proposals to use the technology -- along with new and existing pediatric-cancer data -- to create better diagnostics, therapies and prevention strategies.” [1]
1. Trump Unveils Deal With Pfizer, New Website for Cheaper Drugs. Andrews, Natalie; Whyte, Liz Essley; Loftus, Peter. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 01 Oct 2025: A1.
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