New York — Drugs that treat type 2 diabetes, HIV and arthritis are among 15 new drugs selected to treat… Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program Which allows the federal government to bargain directly with drug manufacturers Trump administration He said Tuesday.
Selected drugs include some of the drugs on which Medicare spends the most money. This means that the deals negotiated this year have the potential to deliver significant savings to taxpayers when they take effect in 2028.
“For too long, seniors and taxpayers have paid the price for skyrocketing prescription drug costs,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said in a statement Tuesday. “Under President Trump’s leadership, CMS is taking strong action to target the most expensive drugs in Medicare, negotiate fair prices, and ensure the system works for patients — not special interests.”
The federal government had until February 1 to announce its list of 15 drugs. Negotiations are conducted under A Law 2022 Which allows for medical care Negotiate the price It pays for the most popular and expensive prescription drugs used by older Americans.
The government has already negotiated prices for 25 drugs covered by Medicare, including popular weight-loss and GLP-1 diabetes drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy. This year’s negotiations represent the third round of the program and mean a total of 40 medications will be made available at lower prices to those enrolled in the Medicare program.
This year also marks the first time that drugs billed under Medicare Part B will be eligible for inclusion in the program. Medicare Part B drugs are outpatient prescriptions, such as medications that are injected or given in a doctor’s office. Retail prescription drugs covered by Medicare Part D are also eligible, as they have been in years past.
Recently announced drugs up for negotiation include the popular type 2 diabetes drug Trulicity and an HIV drug called Biktarvy. The price of NeuroBotox, which is frequently used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, will also be negotiated, but only for uses covered by Medicare, such as treating migraines or overactive bladder.
Other selected medications include treatments for psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, chronic lung disease, depression and various types of cancer.
Over the past year, about 1.8 million Medicare Part B or Part D enrollees used the 15 drugs, according to the Trump administration. It represents about 6% of total Part B and Part D spending, CMS said.
CMS also said that one type 2 diabetes drug whose price was previously negotiated under the program, Tradjenta, will be subject to renegotiation.
AARP CEO Dr. Mesiah Minter-Jordan called Tuesday’s announcement “an important step forward.”
“Older Americans across the political spectrum consistently say lowering drug prices is a top priority, and we thank the administration for protecting Medicare’s ability to meet this need,” she said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the leading trade association for pharmaceutical companies criticized the law that put the program in place, the Inflation Reduction Act, and said policymakers wanting to reduce costs should instead rein in insurers and third-party pharmacy benefit managers.
“The IRA continues to show why government rate setting is the wrong approach for Americans,” Elizabeth Carpenter, executive vice president of policy and research at PhRMA, said in a statement.
CMS announced in November Negotiated drug prices for 15 drugs that will take effect in 2027. Reduced prices for the first 10 drugs negotiated by the Biden administration in 2024 took effect at the beginning of this year.
The full list of new medicines to be negotiated this year under the program includes: Anoro Ellipta, Biktarvy, Botox and Botox Cosmetic, Cimzia, Cosentyx, Entyvio, Erleada, Kisqali, Lenvima, Orencia, Rexulti, Trulicity, Verzenio, Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR, And Xolair.