President Donald Trump announced Friday a landmark agreement with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, securing discounted prices for its prescription drugs under the administration’s “most-favored nation” (MFN) policy.
The deal aligns U.S. prices for Medicaid patients with the lowest prices available in other developed countries, marking the second major pricing negotiation of Trump’s administration, following a similar agreement with Pfizer.
“This agreement is a win for American patients,” a White House statement said. “By negotiating directly with AstraZeneca, the administration is delivering lower prices, increased domestic investment, and enhanced access to essential medicines for millions of Americans.”
Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will make its full catalog of prescription medications available to all state Medicaid programs at discounted rates.
The administration announced that the details of the program will be accessible through a new government website, TrumpRx.gov, designed to provide transparency and allow Americans to easily see the benefits of the initiative.
Beyond pricing, the deal includes significant commitments from AstraZeneca to expand research, development, and manufacturing in the U.S., per Just the News.
The company plans to invest $50 billion into U.S.-based facilities by 2030, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs. One major new facility is set to open in Charlottesville, Virginia, focused on producing advanced pharmaceutical ingredients to support AstraZeneca’s chronic disease and oncology pipelines.
According to the White House, the facility will generate 3,600 skilled positions, boosting local economies while strengthening domestic pharmaceutical capabilities.
President Trump emphasized that the deal would directly benefit millions of Americans.
“Nine million patients currently treated with AstraZeneca medicines will see meaningful relief from high prescription costs,” the White House noted in its fact sheet. “This is part of our ongoing commitment to put American patients first and ensure the United States leads in both healthcare access and innovation.”
The MFN policy, central to this and the previous Pfizer agreement, ensures that U.S. drug prices for Medicaid do not exceed the lowest rates paid in other developed nations.
Advocates argue this approach could save billions in federal healthcare spending while reducing out-of-pocket costs for patients dependent on life-saving treatments.
This second pharmaceutical deal underscores the administration’s broader strategy of leveraging negotiations with major drug manufacturers to achieve cost reductions, foster domestic investment, and create U.S.-based employment opportunities.
Both deals also include potential tariff relief, further incentivizing companies to expand operations domestically.
Healthcare policy analysts note that the Trump administration is setting a precedent for future pharmaceutical negotiations, combining price reductions with investment in domestic infrastructure.
Experts suggest these agreements could serve as a model for future administrations aiming to balance affordability, innovation, and domestic job creation.
With millions of Americans expected to benefit from lower prescription costs and thousands of new jobs in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing, the AstraZeneca deal represents a significant milestone in the administration’s efforts to reform U.S. healthcare pricing while strengthening the country’s domestic capabilities.
