Drugmakers Hike 872 Brand‑Name Prices Despite Trump 'Most Favored Nation' Deals
NPR reports that all 16 pharmaceutical companies that struck 'most favored nation' pricing agreements with the Trump administration in recent months still raised list prices on some of their products in early January 2026, with 46brooklyn data showing hikes on 872 brand‑name drugs and a median increase of 4% — essentially identical to prior years. The confidential deals, which the White House sold as a way to lower U.S. prices and force other rich countries to pay more, appear to be narrowly focused on extra Medicaid discounts, launch‑price pledges for some future drugs overseas, and limited cash discounts via a new TrumpRx.gov website, leaving most existing products and insured patients unaffected. A White House spokesperson now downplays list prices as "not important," even though they remain the starting point for negotiations with insurers and pharmacy benefit managers and help determine what patients pay at the pharmacy counter. CMS chief Mehmet Oz is pitching Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan as a way to 'codify' the one‑off drug deals, but independent health‑policy experts quoted in the piece say the agreements are unlikely to materially change what most Americans or their health plans pay for medicines. The story underscores a growing gap between the administration’s rhetoric on drug‑price relief and on‑the‑ground pricing behavior by major manufacturers.
📌 Key Facts
- Since September, 16 major drug companies have signed secret 'most favored nation' pricing deals with the Trump administration.
- In the first two weeks of January 2026 those 16 firms raised list prices on 872 brand‑name drugs, with a median 4% hike, according to nonprofit pricing firm 46brooklyn.
- The deals mainly involve additional Medicaid discounts, launch‑price parity for some future drugs in rich countries, and limited cash‑price discounts through TrumpRx.gov, leaving most existing products and insured consumers unaffected.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, the uninsured rate among non-Hispanic White adults aged 18-64 was 6.7%, compared to 10.8% for Black adults and 21.2% for Hispanic adults, highlighting disparities in health insurance coverage that affect access to prescription drugs.
National Uninsured Rate at 8.2 Percent in the First Quarter of 2024 — ASPE
Black populations in the US have lower prescription drug utilization relative to disease prevalence compared to other racial groups, with underutilization persisting across various health conditions.
Prescription Drug Utilization and Spending by Race, Ethnicity, Payer ... — PMC
In 2022, prescription drug prices in the US were on average 2.78 times higher than in 33 other comparison countries, including both brand-name and generic drugs.
Comparing Prescription Drugs in the U.S. and Other Countries — ASPE
Disparities in access to prescription drugs persist due to factors such as lower incomes among minoritized groups, with Black and Hispanic patients less likely to be prescribed new weight-loss drugs compared to White patients.
Studies find economic, racial disparities in prescription of weight ... — Ohio Health Policy News
📊 Analysis & Commentary (1)
"The analysis challenges the standard political condemnation of price discrimination—using the recent drug‑price headlines as a backdrop—arguing that differential pricing can be economically rational and socially useful and warning that blunt policy attacks (e.g., MFN‑style measures) risk raising prices, reducing access, and creating perverse incentives."
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time