Overview

• Drugmakers have until September 29 to propose how they will sell in the U.S. at no more than the lowest price they charge in any other industrialized country, with the White House warning of enforcement measures if they do not comply.
• Manufacturers are already repositioning: Novo Nordisk will halve the U.S. self‑pay price of Ozempic, while Eli Lilly raised a U.K. list price for a weight‑loss shot by 170 percent.
• A late‑August U.S.–EU statement flagged 15 percent duties on European pharmaceutical imports, potentially rising far higher, with experts noting generics are exempt and that a U.S. Section 232 review still precedes implementation.
• German health economists warn Europe could face higher prices, delayed or foregone launches, and a shift of production toward the United States as firms prioritize preserving U.S. revenue.
• The pressure comes as Americans pay roughly three times peers for many drugs and as the U.S. accounts for an outsized share of industry profits, shaping company responses to the policy push.