President Trump announces cheaper IVF drugs

US President Donald Trump announced plans to reduce the costs of fertility drugs and improve access to fertility treatment in a briefing last week.

The majority of US patients pay for fertility treatment directly, because it is not covered by many health insurance policies. According to President Trump, a single round of IVF treatment can cost up to $25,000. President Trump announced two plans aimed at improving access: a reduction in the price of fertility medications from EMD Serono, (the US-based branch of pharmaceutical company Merck), and a recommendation for expansion of insurance coverage for fertility treatment.

'We want to make it easier for all couples to have babies, raise children and start the families they have always dreamed about,' said President Trump.

Merck confirmed they have agreed to invest in US manufacturing and research in a deal to avoid future industry-specific tariffs if these are introduced. The deal is part of the administration's broader goal to reduce the cost of US prescription drugs, bringing them more in line with other countries.

Under the plans, the medications would be listed on a government-run direct-to-consumer website, from early 2026. Costs would be based on an income-dependent model and could be up to 84 percent cheaper than list price. To date, no other manufacturers have been announced as having negotiated reduced prices for fertility drugs.

'Upwards of 40 percent of the cost of IVF comes from the specialty drugs used for this treatment. Reducing these costs can have a significant impact on affordability and access,' Dr Roger Shedlin, CEO of WIN, a fertility benefits company, told NBC News.

The briefing also introduced plans to allow employers to offer 'supplemental' fertility plans, and to publish government guidance on this option. These plans would be separate from main health insurance coverage, similar to how dental and vision coverage are often provided. The availability of fertility-specific coverage for employers, however, does not mean employers will take it up. Officials from the White House have confirmed that there will be neither a mandate nor subsidies for employers to participate, framing the novel coverage as a 'recommendation'.

'One executive action cannot, on its own, ensure that every patient who needs IVF – which for some represents the only option to have a child – can access it,' Sean Tipton, chief advocacy and policy officer at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine told NBC. Despite this, he called the announcement a 'crucial first step'.

This announcement follows President Trump's executive order earlier this year, in which announced his intention to protect and improve access to IVF across the USA (see BioNews 1278). This was a key issue during the 2024 presidential election, after some fertility clinics in some states paused treatment in response to concerns over anti-abortion laws that followed the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022 (see BioNews 1228 and 1229).