Pharma giants set to raise prices on 350 drugs despite pressure from Trump

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are preparing to increase the prices of at least 350 branded drugs in the US, according to data shared by the health research organization 3 Axis Advisors.

According to a report by Reuters, these planned increases come despite demands for discounts from the administration of President Donald Trump. The hikes cover critical products such as COVID-19, RSV, and shingles vaccines, as well as the popular cancer drug Ibrance.

The number of price increases projected for 2026 shows a significant rise compared to the same period last year, when 250 drugs saw price hikes.

The median rate for this year’s increases is hovering around 4%, maintaining the level seen in 2025. It is noted that these set list prices do not reflect rebates and other discounts provided to pharmacy benefit managers.

Discounts applied to drugs negotiated with the government

In contrast to the price increases, some companies plan to reduce the list prices of approximately nine drugs.

Prices for three treatments related to the diabetes drug Jardiance, marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly, will be reduced by over 40%.

Jardiance is among the 10 drugs for which the US government negotiated lower prices for 2026 under the Medicare program, which serves individuals aged 65 and older. As a result of these negotiations, the companies agreed to reduce the price of the drug by two-thirds.

Trump’s pressure continues

US patients currently pay approximately three times more for prescription drugs compared to other developed countries. Donald Trump continues to pressure pharmaceutical companies to bring prices down to levels seen in other wealthy nations.

Trump had reached agreements on certain products with 14 drug manufacturers for the Medicaid program, which serves low-income Americans, and for patients paying in cash.

However, giants on this list, such as Pfizer, Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, and GSK, plan to raise prices on some of their other drugs starting January 1.

Dr. Benjamin Rome, a health policy researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, stated that although these agreements are presented as “transformative,” they actually have a superficial impact on the underlying causes of high prices in the US.

Pfizer: “Artışlar enflasyonun altında”

Pfizer led the list by raising prices on approximately 80 different drugs, including the cancer drug Ibrance, the migraine pill Nurtec, and the COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid. While the company implemented increases exceeding fourfold on some low-cost drugs used in hospitals, such as morphine, it raised the price of the COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty by 15%.

In a statement from Pfizer, it was argued that the average list price increases for vaccines and innovative drugs for 2026 were kept below the general inflation rate.

The company stated that these reasonable increases are necessary for new drug discoveries and rising operating costs.

European drugmaker GSK also announced plans to increase prices by between 2% and 8.9% for approximately 20 drugs and vaccines.

The company stated that these increases are essential to sustain scientific innovation. Since January is historically the month with the highest number of price increases in the industry, new hikes are expected to be announced in the coming days.