Senator Bernie Sanders, who is the ranking member on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released a report showing that Trump’s drug pricing dealts have only led to higher drug prices. Notwithstanding Trump’s claim that his deals with drug manufacturers would make drugs more affordable, the manufacturers have actually raised their drug prices and launched new drugs at an average annual cost of $353,000, reports Berkeley Lovelace, Jr. for NBC News. Meanwhile Congress has done nothing to address high drug costs.
Americans pay higher prices than people anywhere else for our drugs. Until Congress enacts legislation that requires the government to negotiate drug prices on behalf of all Americans, we will continue to do so. Voluntary efforts will not stop drugmakers from raising prices.
The Sanders report also finds that the pharmaceutical company profits have risen significantly during the first year of the Trump administration. In 2024, profits for the industry totalled $107 billion. In 2025, they were up $70 billion to $177 billion
No one actually knows the content of the deals Trump had made on drug pricing. But, it does not appear that President Trump’s “most favored nation” deals with pharmaceutical companies have lowered costs for Americans in any meaningful way. IFrom the data we have on drug company profits, it feels that the deals have only benefited the drug companies.
People without insurance can use TrumpRx for drug prices that are below list price. But, they pay about what they would pay with a coupon from GoodRx.
Prices for costly popular drugs in the US are rising well faster than inflation. For example, Keytruda’s price rose six percent a year. It now costs about $210,000 a year in the US, as compared to $37,900 in Japan and $88,100 in France.
