How TrumpRx drug prices compare to generic alternatives

"Case in point: Pristiq, an antidepressant made by Pfizer, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for about $200 for a 30-day supply - a more than 50% discount from the list price. Where it stands: 26 of the 43 drugs listed on TrumpRx as of the website's launch have generic alternatives, according to a tally by Anna Kaltenboeck, a drug pricing expert and president of Verdant Research."

"The intrigue: TrumpRx could help "funnel people to higher price-products and [take] money from them that they don't need to be spending when there's actually much cheaper alternatives out there," said Sarah Karlin-Smith, research director for the Access to Medicines program at Public Citizen. A White House spokesperson told Axios that it's possible that cheaper alternatives are available for some products listed on TrumpRx, but said the site's value is in providing the lowest-cost option for branded products."

"Reality check: Consumers may have a personal preference for a branded drug over a generic. Generic drugs are reviewed by the FDA to make sure they perform the same way and contain the same active ingredients as brand-name products. But the FDA doesn't generally test generic drugs for quality concerns, and has failed to test products from factories with serious safety violations in the past, according to a ProPublica investigation published in December."

Pristiq, an antidepressant made by Pfizer, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for about $200 for a 30-day supply, more than a 50% discount off list price. Twenty-six of 43 drugs listed on TrumpRx have generic alternatives. Pharmaceutical patents grant market exclusivity; patent expiry allows generic competition that typically lowers prices. Nine of ten U.S. prescriptions are generics. Critics say TrumpRx could funnel consumers toward higher-priced branded products when cheaper generics exist. A White House spokesperson says the site provides the lowest-cost branded option and advises checking copays. The FDA reviews generics for equivalent active ingredients but does not generally test generic quality, and past failures to test factories with safety violations have been reported.

Read at Axios