During a White House press briefing on Thursday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read out a letter written by President Trump that was sent to Eli Lilly CEO.
00:00Finally, as you all know, the President signed an executive order earlier this year to solve
00:05the problem of exorbitant pharmaceutical pricing.
00:08According to recent data, the prices that Americans have been paying for brand name
00:12drugs are more than three times the price other similarly developed nations pay.
00:19The President is determined to solve this problem and took further action today.
00:23He has signed 17 letters to pharmaceutical companies' CEOs.
00:27And I would like to read you one of these letters to the CEO of Eli Lilly.
00:31All of these letters will be provided to you following this briefing.
00:35This is to the CEO of Eli Lilly from the President of the United States.
00:39On May 12, 2025, I signed an executive order delivering most favored nation prescription
00:45drug pricing to American patients to stop global fleet freeloading and guarantee that Americans
00:50pay the same prices enjoyed by other developed nations.
00:54Right now, brand name drugs in the United States are up to three times higher on average than
01:00anywhere else for the identical medicines.
01:03This unacceptable burden on hardworking American families ends with my administration.
01:09Most proposals the Trump administration has received to resolve this critical issue promised
01:14more of the same, shifting blame and requesting policy changes that would result in billions
01:19of dollars in handouts to industry.
01:21Moving forward, the only thing I will accept from drug manufacturers is a commitment that
01:26provides American families immediate relief from the vastly inflated drug prices and an end
01:33to the free ride of American innovation by European and other developed nations.
01:38Accordingly, I am calling on Eli Lilly and company and every manufacturer doing business in our great country
01:44to take the following actions within the next 60 days.
01:47Extend the most favored nation pricing to Medicaid.
01:50Guarantee most favored nation pricing for newly launched drugs.
01:54Return increased revenues abroad to American patients and taxpayers.
01:58Provide for direct purchasing at most favored nation pricing.
02:02The President's team, including Secretary Kennedy and Administrator Oz, stand ready to implement these terms.
02:08The President expects to further engage with them immediately in good faith to deliver relief for American families.
02:15Make no mistake, a collaborative effort towards achieving global pricing parity would be the most effective path for companies,
02:22the government and American patients.
02:24But if you refuse to step up, we will deploy every tool in our arsenal to protect American families from continued abusive drug pricing practices.
02:34Americans are demanding lower drug prices, and they need them today.
02:38Other nations have been freeloading on U.S. innovation for far too long, and it is time they pay their fair share.
02:44I look forward to your binding commitments to each of these goals by September 29, 2025, and my team stands ready to assist with implementation questions.
02:53Thank you for your immediate attention to this vital national priority.
02:57Signed, President Donald J. Trump.
02:59Again, to the CEO of Eli Lilly, this letter in its form has been designed for each of the 17 major drug and pharmaceutical companies in the United States.
03:11And we're happy to provide you the full list, and I believe you will see all 17 letters popping on Truth Social very shortly.
03:17So you can look out for those, and I'm happy to take any further questions.
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