Health

FDA Chief: Trump Takes on Big Pharma’s “Great American Rip-Off”

Published

May 13, 2025

President Trump is launching one of the boldest efforts yet to slash prescription drug prices—and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary says the days of American patients getting “ripped off” are coming to an end.

In an interview with Laura Ingraham, Makary explained that pharmaceutical companies have taken advantage of the U.S. market for decades. “This is the first day where you’ve seen a major world leader call them out,” he said, crediting Trump for confronting drug pricing head-on.

Makary said that U.S. consumers pay 10 to 15 times more for many medications than people in the UK, France, or Germany. One in five American seniors can’t afford their prescriptions, he noted. As a result, they either delay filling them or skip them entirely. Even though the U.S. makes up only 5% of the global population, it contributes 70% of Big Pharma’s global profits.

Pressure Backed by Action

The president’s new executive order gives drug companies 30 days to lower prices. If they don’t, Makary said, the administration will use every available tool to enforce change. That includes allowing drug imports, deploying the FTC and DOJ to investigate price fixing, and leveraging Medicare’s market power.

Makary stressed that this isn’t a symbolic gesture. “He’s not interested in small tweaks or things around the edges,” he said. Instead, the White House is deploying a “whole-of-government approach” to force fairness into the system.

Some industry observers claimed the executive order wouldn’t hold up, pointing to rising stock prices as proof. Ingraham noted that major pharmaceutical stocks—like Merck and Gilead—climbed after the announcement. She questioned whether companies really fear a loss in profits.

Makary pushed back. “They see the writing on the wall,” he said. Pharma stocks rose because the market had a blockbuster day overall. But drug companies know that the days of unchecked price hikes may be over. He added, “They know this is the great American rip-off. And I think they’re going to come to the table.”

Pharma Pushback, and Trump’s Response

Industry lobbyists have claimed that price reforms would lead to fewer cures and treatment breakthroughs. Makary dismissed that argument as a distraction. He pointed out that patients are already going without treatments—not because of a lack of R&D—but because the drugs are simply unaffordable.

“People can’t afford their meds right now, so they’re getting no treatments or cures,” he said. “We want pharma doing R&D, but we don’t want to pay for all of it.”

Makary also said President Trump recognizes unfair financial burdens on the U.S.—whether in NATO spending, trade deficits, or global health funding. Drug pricing is no different. “The president has a knack for seeing when America is being taken advantage of,” Makary said. “And that’s exactly what’s been going on.”

Laura closed the segment by pointing to the global imbalance. Wealthy countries get lower drug prices, while American patients foot the bill. This “free rider” model, she said, is exactly what the Trump administration is determined to stop.