Menopur loses unique competitive advantage. Consequences to clinics, pharmacies, and other drug makers remain uncertain
BY RON SHINKMAN
The Trump administration is launching an initiative to significantly reduce the cost of drugs used for IVF cycles, although details remain unclear as to its scale or structure.
The White House announced on Oct. 16 it had cut a deal with manufacturer EMD Serono to offer prescriptions of Gonal-F on the new TrumpRx website at a steep discount. Gonal-F is a form of follicle-stimulating hormone used to prompt the ovaries to produce more eggs.
The Trump administration claimed the price would be 796% lower than the “deal price,” although that means someone who participates would be rebated back nearly $7,000 for every $1,000 they spent on drugs. But industry observers also noted that that claim reflects the chaotic practices in American drug pricing, where costs for some pharmaceuticals can vary wildly depending on the entity distributing or dispensing them.
84% Mark Down on EMD Serono Meds. Ferring Loses Unique Competitive Advantage
EMD Serono said that the discounts would apply to Gonal-F, Ovidrel and Celtrotide and would represent an 84% reduction from the list price. The discounts would be put into place by January 2026, the company said.
The deal also maps an acceleration of approval on EMD Serono’s new drug, Pergoveris, a drug used similarly in protocols to Ferring’s Menopur. Menopur is Ferring’s rockstar fertility product. It generated just over $1 billion in revenue for the company last year. Revenue from Menopur was up 14.2% compared to 2023.
CVS Health also said it was participating in the Trump initiative, but did not release any details related to pricing. The retailing giant procures and distributes drugs but does not manufacture them.
2024’s Alabama Supreme Court decision prompted President Donald Trump and other Republican politicians to embrace IVF and promise to make it more easily available – a stance that eventually ran headlong into high and ever-rising drug prices in the U.S.
Pharmacies, Other Drug Makers Left In Dark
Pharmacies in the fertility space say they are interested in participating.
Terry Malanda, vice president of operations for Mandell’s Clinical Pharmacy in Somerset, N.J., said she has reached out to the Trump administration for more details. “The information is just not available yet,” she told Inside Reproductive Health.
Evan Sussman, chief executive officer of Granata Bio, a Duxbury, Mass.-based firm that develops fertility drugs developed in other countries for U.S. distribution, is also interested in potentially participating.
“We’ll see how it all shakes out,” Sussman told Inside Reproductive Health. Like Malanda, Sussman noted that details are sparse.
However, Sussman believes that if one pharmaceutical manufacturer is cutting its prices more than 80% to participate in the initiative, it will likely cause downward price pressures elsewhere.
“If those numbers are right, I think there will be better prices for patients,” he said.
Another executive in the fertility space raised concerns about how the initiative might shake out.
Second Order Consequences for Fertility Clinics
Abby Mercado, chief executive officer of Rescripted, a Denver-based media platform for women dealing with fertility issues, noted in a recent LinkedIn post that “if purchases funnel through a new portal, what happens to the specialty fertility pharmacies that currently handle patient education and hand-holding? If they’re sidelined, clinics pick up the slack -- and they’re already understaffed.”
Mercado is also concerned that many Americans considering IVF may not be fully aware of the time constraints regarding the procedure.
“Changes won’t land until 2026. For many patients -- especially those with diminished ovarian reserve -- months matter,” she posted. “Access policy must be paired with education about time sensitivity, or we’ll miss outcomes even if we hit coverage goals.” Nevertheless, Mercado sees hope in the new initiative.
“IVF went from whispered to prime-time,” Mercado wrote. “Public debate invites accountability, competition, and consumer literacy. That’s progress worth protecting.”