Trump announces plan to lower the cost of a common IVF drug

President Donald Trump announced two policy changes Thursday aimed at making in vitro fertilization more affordable — a long-awaited follow-up to his pledges to require health insurers to cover IVF services and an executive order to reduce the cost of fertility treatments.

However, the announcement was not a new rule that insurers must cover IVF. Instead, the Trump administration said the White House negotiated with two specialty pharmacies and a drugmaker to lower the cost of a commonly prescribed fertility drug that stimulates the ovaries to produce eggs.

Additionally, the administration announced upcoming guidance from the Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services that will help employers offer fertility benefits outside of major health insurance plans, the same way they offer dental, vision, or life insurance.

“We want to make it easier for all couples to have babies, raise children and have the family they’ve always dreamed of,” Trump said during a press briefing in the Oval Office.

The bulk of Thursday’s announcement focused on discounted fertility drugs from pharmaceutical maker EMD Serono, part of pharmaceutical giant Merck. The company announced it would make its IVF drugs available at lower cost through TrumpRx, a direct-to-consumer website run by the federal government, starting in early 2026.

“We are proud to announce that Americans will have access to our leading IVF therapies at an 84% discount off list prices,” said Libby Horne, head of U.S. fertility at EMD Serono.

In the United States, most IVF patients pay out-of-pocket for treatment, according to KFF, a nonprofit research group.

Among the discounted drugs is a commonly used drug called Gonal-f, which some IVF patients take as daily injections for about one or two weeks.

Senior administration officials said the specialty pharmacies involved in the deal, CVS Specialty and Express Scripts’ Freedom Fertility — which they say account for more than 80 percent of Gonal-f’s distribution — agreed to reduce their expenses associated with handling the drug.

“More than 40% of the cost of IVF comes from the specialty medications used for this treatment. Reducing these costs can have a significant impact on affordability and access,” Dr. Roger Shedlin, CEO of fertility benefits company WIN, said in a statement.

Trump’s announcement comes after months of relative silence from the White House on policies it was considering to expand access to IVF. The executive order he issued in February called for recommendations to “protect access to IVF and aggressively reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment.” Trump received a list of these recommendations in May.

The new deal is part of Trump’s broader effort to bring the cost of prescription drugs in the United States more in line with the lowest prices in other wealthy countries — the so-called “most favored nation” pricing model.

The White House has not yet negotiated price cuts for IVF drugs from other manufacturers.

Sean Tipton, director of advocacy and policy at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which represents IVF providers, called the announcement a “crucial first step” but said it still doesn’t go far enough to improve affordability.

“A single executive action alone cannot ensure that every patient in need of IVF – which for some represents the only option for having a child – can access it,” he said.

For now, senior administration officials said, drugs made by EMD Serono will receive discounts from TrumpRx at varying levels depending on the buyer’s income. Patients earning less than 550 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible for a deeper reduction, officials said.

Trump campaigned last year on expanding access to IVF, referring to himself at the time as the “father of IVF.” However, some conservatives and anti-abortion groups view IVF as unethical because the process often involves discarding embryos that have genetic problems or are not needed. The Washington Post reported in August that the administration had moved away from the idea of ​​requiring IVF coverage for health insurers.

EMD Serono is seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for another fertility drug, Pergoveris, which is approved in Europe but not in the United States. Administration officials said Thursday that the FDA intends to grant the application priority review status, which would speed up the process.