The Trump administration announced its newest pharmaceutical agreement under its Most Favored Nation policy Thursday, striking deals with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to sell their GLP-1 products at discounted prices.
According to senior administration officials, the two manufacturers have agreed to sell their injectable GLP-1 products for a monthly starting price starting of $245 for people on Medicare and Medicaid, as well as those who use the TrumpRX platform expected to launch early next year.
Oral GLP-1s will also be sold through the same avenues at a starting price of $149 per month. A senior administration official said, however, that this price will only apply to GLP-1 tablets that are “currently under review that will be approved for obesity” and will not apply to Rybelsus, which is currently the only oral GLP-1 approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
“The savings generated by these price reductions will then be used to provide new coverage for GLP-1s to patients with obesity, the high metabolic or cardiovascular risk, again, all at the same $245 per month,” a senior administration official said.
An administration official estimated about 10 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will be eligible for expanded access to GLP-1 drugs.
Medicare is legally prohibited from covering obesity medications, though it can cover GLP-1s indicated for heart conditions. Administration officials did not say how the federal program would be able to cover the GLP-1 drugs that are currently indicated solely for diabetes and obesity.
Administration officials specified that these prices are separate from the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Novo Nordisk’s well-known GLP-1 Ozempic was chosen for Medicare negotiation at the start of this year.
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