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In a landmark move aimed at tackling soaring drug costs, the Trump administration announced new agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to slash prices of popular GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound. The deal, part of the administration’s new TrumpRx initiative, will make these drugs more affordable for Medicare, Medicaid, and direct consumers starting in 2026. Under the agreement, both drugmakers will cut the price Medicare pays for GLP-1 treatments for diabetes and obesity to $245 per dose, roughly one-ninth of current list prices that often exceed $1,000 a month. Medicare will, for the first time, begin covering weight-loss drugs through a pilot program launching mid-2026. Eligible enrollees will pay only a $50 monthly copay, with initial access extended to seniors who are obese or overweight with related health conditions such as prediabetes, heart failure, or hypertension. The lower pricing will also extend to state Medicaid programs, with every state eligible to opt into the $245-per-dose rate. According to administration officials, this could expand coverage to millions of lower-income Americans who previously couldn’t afford the drugs. In addition to government programs, the same GLP-1 drugs will be available directly to consumers through TrumpRx.gov, set to launch in January 2026. Starting doses of injectable Wegovy and Zepbound will cost $350 per month, trending down to $245 over two years. Oral versions of the medications, including Novo Nordisk’s upcoming semaglutide pill and Eli Lilly’s orforglipron, will launch at $149 per month once approved. In return for lowering prices, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk will receive regulatory benefits such as tariff exemptions and priority FDA reviews for certain drugs. President Trump called the deal “a major victory for American patients,” while Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said it would “save lives and improve access for millions.” Industry leaders echoed that sentiment, with Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar saying the move “brings semaglutide medicines to more patients at a lower cost,” while Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks called it “a pivotal moment in US health care policy.” With Medicare spending nearly $6 billion on GLP-1 drugs in 2022 alone, the TrumpRx deal marks a historic effort to expand access while reining in some of the country’s most expensive treatments. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.
