STAT+: Days before Trump deadline to lower prices, companies push a flurry of initiatives. Will it be enough?
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Pharmaceutical companies are scrambling to make last-minute announcements ahead of a Trump administration deadline on Monday for the firms to lower U.S. drug prices. But it\u2019s not clear if the initiatives \u2014 which include investments in the U.S. and new direct-to-consumer models \u2014 will meet the president\u2019s expectations.<\/p>\n
President Trump in July sent letters<\/a> to 17 major pharma companies, demanding that they take several actions to lower U.S. drug prices in line with what other countries pay as part of his \u201cmost-favored nations\u201d policy.<\/p>\n So far, companies have expressed the greatest enthusiasm for one of the demands in the letters, in particular \u2014 that they implement direct-to-consumer models for their drugs, with AstraZenca<\/a> and Bristol Myers Squibb<\/a> this week both announcing new offerings. This kind of model, which cuts out insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, is welcomed by the administration but won\u2019t satisfy Trump\u2019s demands unless they lower prices to levels paid by other countries, a White House official told STAT, speaking on the condition of anonymity.\u00a0<\/p>\n Continue to STAT+ to read the full story\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n