Donald Trump has threatened to use “every tool in our arsenal” to crack down on pharmaceutical giants if they fail to cut drug prices for Americans within 60 days.
The president wrote to executives at 17 companies on Thursday, demanding they match their US prices for prescription drugs with the lowest price offered in other developed nations.
Current prices are an “unacceptable burden” on US families, Trump said, claiming they could be up to three times higher than in other countries.
“Make no mistake: a collaborative effort towards achieving global pricing parity would be the most effective path for companies, the government, and American patients,” Trump wrote. “But if you refuse to step up we will deploy every tool in our arsenal to protect American families from continued abusive drug pricing practices.
“Americans are demanding lower drug prices, and they need them today.”
The bosses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca and GSK were among those who received the letters. None of the firms immediately responded to a request for comment.
