NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced efforts to expand access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) by making such treatments more affordable.
The move includes two priorities: lowering drug prices and making IVF treatment more affordable for women seeking to conceive but who struggle to afford the expensive procedure.
“In the Trump administration, we want to make it easier for couples to have babies, raise children, and start the families they’ve always dreamed of,” Trump said during an announcement from the Oval Office.
BATYA UNGAR-SARGON: HOW TRUMP USES SAME STRATEGY TO CURB BIG PHARMA, SECURE MIDEAST PEACE
Trump said EMD Serono, the largest fertility drug manufacturer in the world, has agreed to provide discounts on the cost of fertility drugs the company sells in the U.S.
The deal includes the drug Gonal-f, which treats infertility in women and men.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said: “There are going to be a lot of Trump babies. I think that’s probably a good thing.”
Trump said a single round of IVF in the United States can cost up to $25,000, with many couples requiring multiple rounds for a successful pregnancy.
“We’re pleased to announce that, depending on the patient’s income, the cost of drugs for a standard IVF cycle of infertility will decrease somewhere between 42 and 79% for families,” an official said, “based on the results of this negotiation.”
TRUMP SAYS ADMINISTRATION CLOSE TO FINALIZING FEDERAL FUNDING DEAL WITH HARVARD UNIVERSITY
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said a single cycle of IVF ranges from $15,000 to $20,000 and can exceed $30,000.
“Given that the average number of cycles needed to become pregnant from IVF is 2.5, this means that the average cost of IVF to conceive successfully can easily exceed $40,000,” an HHS report states.
Libby Horne, EMD Serono’s U.S. vice president of fertility and HIV/endocrinology, praised Thursday’s announcement, noting that 1 in 8 couples face infertility.
“Through our partnership with the administration, we are proud to announce that Americans will have access to our leading IVF therapies at an 84% discount off list prices,” said Horne.
The announcement came after Trump in February signed an executive order directing federal agencies to find ways to lower the cost of IVF.
Trump pledged on the campaign trail that if he won a second term, he would mandate free in vitro fertilization treatment for women.
Trump credited Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., with bringing the issue of IVF access to his attention.
“This is the most pro-IVF thing that any president in the history of the United States of America has done,” Britt said Thursday alongside Trump.
Read the full article here
