Anti-obesity drugs discounted by 90%: here is TrumpRx, the site that cuts medicine prices

There are the very popular anti-obesity drugs such as Ozempic, Zepbound or Wegovy among the most sought-after drugs, which are being discounted from 60 per cent up to 90 per cent of the price at which they were previously sold, even going from over a thousand dollars per course of therapy to just $149. But on this first list of the most popular and now super-discounted drugs are, for example, fertility therapies. 'Selling' them is the brand new TrumpRX, the website just launched by the Trump administration with the aim of helping patients buy prescription drugs directly at discounted prices, at a time when healthcare and cost of living are growing concerns for Americans. "You're going to save a fortune," said President Donald Trump during the site's unveiling, "And this is also very good for the entire health care system." The basic idea is to bring prices in line with the lowest prices in other countries, including Italia. With effects for Europe and our country yet to be understood, given that the multinational drug companies could offload the lower earnings overseas onto us.

The government-hosted website is not a platform for the direct purchase of medicines, although it 'sthetically' looks a lot like one. Instead, it is structured as a facilitator, directing Americans to the direct-to-consumer sites of pharmaceutical companies, where they can make their purchases. The same site - reserved only for US citizens - also provides coupons that - the site explains - can be used in pharmacies. The site debuted with over 40 drugs, including weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy. The site is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to demonstrate that it is addressing the problem of high living costs. Affordability has emerged as a political vulnerability for Trump and his Republican allies ahead of November's midterm elections, while Americans remain concerned about the cost of housing, groceries, utilities, and other key elements of middle-class identity. This initiative is inspired by the principle of the'most favourable nations' by which the White House aims to align the prices of medicines paid in the US with the same lower prices that the big pharmaceutical multinationals charge in other countries, including European countries such as Italia where, thanks to negotiations by the Italian Medicines Agency, patients can benefit from lower prices.

Trump emphasised that the lower prices were made possible by his pressure on pharmaceutical companies on pricing, saying that he had demanded that they apply the same costs in the United States as in other countries: among the pharmaceutical giants that have so far signed up are American giants such as Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Merck, and European giants such as AstraZeneca, which have agreed to lower prices on the basis of the principle of 'most favoured nations'. Trump also added that as a consequence of this initiative, the costs of prescription drugs will increase abroad, a more than concrete possibility as that of seeing the latest innovative drugs arrive later in Europe and Italia because they are cheaper. "We're tired of subsidising the rest of the world," Trump said during an evening event at the White House that lasted about 20 minutes. The administration advertises substantial discounts, although it is unclear what concrete impact these changes will have on family budgets. The site includes a disclaimer that prices 'may be even lower' for people with insurance, since 'out-of-pocket prices' are indicated. In addition, some consumers may be able to use available generic drugs, which cost less than branded drugs.