7 Expensive Meds That May Get Price Cuts This Summer

Shoppers in the United States have been worried about the impact tariffs might have on their groceries and cost of living, but finally there is a bit of good news—thanks to a new executive order announced by President Trump, the cost of prescription drugs and pharmaceuticals (which are almost three times as expensive in America compared to other countries) could go down by up to 80%.

"Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, the Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other relevant executive department and agency (agency) officials, communicate most-favored-nation price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices for American patients in line with comparably developed nations," reads an official statement.

So how could this new order affect your healthcare? Here are seven expensive medications that could see a major drop in price this summer.

Ozempic

While President Trump hasn't mentioned any specific drugs by name, CBS News reports that the president said weight loss drugs may be impacted by the order. Ozempic, made by Novo Nordisk, raised its prices by 3%, according to drug price research firm 46brooklyn. The new order could force the company to lower prices again.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Eliquis

Blood thinner Eliquis from Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer costs $606 for a month's supply in America compared to $114 in Sweden and just $20 in Japan, according to Reuters. "The U.S. market is the bank for pharmaceutical companies," Ameet Sarpatwari, an expert in pharmaceutical policy at Harvard Medical School, tells The New York Times. "There's a keen sense that the best place to try to extract profits is the U.S. because of its existing system and its dysfunction."

Harvoni

According to HealthSystemTracker (HST), Hepatitis C medication Harvoni (Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir) costs $31,618 in the U.S. in 2022, compared to $23,024 overseas. "Drugs are so expensive in the U.S. because we let them be," Michelle Mello, a Stanford law and health policy professor, tells The New York Times. "We designed a system in terms of drug costs that is all engines, no brakes."

Kalydeco

Cystic fibrosis drug Kalydeco (Ivacaftor) costs $23,874 in the U.S. compared to $21,067 overseas, HST reports. "We should look at every avenue to get drug companies to lower list prices. Americans are getting ripped off paying the highest prescription drug prices of any nation, and that is why America's PBMs have repeatedly called on big drug companies to lower their prices," Greg Lopes, a spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, tells CBS News.

Enbrel

Anti-inflammatory drug Enbrel (Etanercept) costs $4.635 in the U.S. compared to $3,009 overseas. "The United States is the only country that allows middlemen, such as P.B.M.s, to profiteer on medicines unchecked," says Alex Schriver, an official at Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Humira Pen

The anti-inflammatory Humira Pen medication costs $4,481 in the U.S. and just $2,794 overseas. "Regulations have been imposed at federal and state levels, but PBMs have proven remarkably adept at evolving their business model to shift profit-taking to other parts of the system," say Judith L. Herman, M.D., and Frank W. Putnam, M.D. Virtually all researchers call for much greater transparency in PBM accounting practices."

Victoza

The Victoza 3-Pak (Liraglutide) type 2 diabetes medication costs $766 in the U.S. compared to $472 overseas. "These companies are spending more to enrich their own stockholders and CEOs than they are in finding new cures and new treatments," Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a 2024 hearing (not about Victoza specifically). "Now, the average American who hears all this is asking a very simple question. How does all of this happen? "