Trump Issues Ultimatum to 17 Pharma Giants on US Drug Prices

President Donald Trump has issued stern letters to 17 major pharmaceutical companies, demanding they reduce U.S. drug prices to the lowest levels paid by other developed countries under a most-favored-nation (MFN) pricing policy. These letters, publicly posted on Trump's Truth Social platform, give the companies 60 days to collaborate with his administration to implement these changes or face unspecified but serious consequences. Trump criticized the companies for blaming high U.S. drug prices on research and development costs and for seeking policy changes that would benefit the industry financially. His administration emphasizes ending what Trump calls the 'free ride' of American innovation by foreign nations, insisting on global pricing parity to provide immediate relief to American families. The White House noted that previous industry proposals fell short, and Trump remains firm on enforcing strict price reductions through all available tools. This aggressive stance follows an earlier executive order by Trump aimed at drug price negotiations and signals ongoing pressure on pharmaceutical companies to significantly lower costs for essential medicines in the U.S.