Merck KGaA reduces US prices for IVF drugs by 84%

German Merck KGaA has become the third company to officially participate in the ‘Most Favoured Nation’ (MFN) drug pricing programme launched by US President Donald Trump. The company announced it will cut US prices for its in vitro fertilisation products by 84%. Previously, the British company AstraZeneca plc and the internationally producing pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. had signed a corresponding agreement.

From January 2026, the Merck subsidiary EMD Serono will distribute the IVF products Gonal-F, Ovidrel and Cetrotide through the government-owned TrumpRx platform. In 2024, the company generated global revenues of US$1.5bn from these products, a quarter of which (US$375m) came from the United States. That year, approximately 432,000 fertility treatments were carried out in the US.

The combination product Pergoveris is expected to be submitted shortly for FDA approval under the CNPV programme, which was launched in June. The programme applies to products aligned with the USA’s national health priorities and shortens the FDA review period from around 10–12 months to just 1–2 months. Pergoveris, composed of recombinant FSH and LH, was developed by Merck to“mimic reproductive physiology”.

MFN and pharmaceutical tariffs

US President Donald Trump called in July 2025 for the CEOs of 17 major pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily propose price reductions and invest in US production facilities. In return, the companies are temporarily exempt from US pharmaceutical tariffs, which apply to all drugs manufactured outside the USA. EMD Serono Inc, which relocated its headquarters to the United States in November 2023, announced that it would invest in US production facilities for the first time by the time the regulation comes into effect, although the amount of the investment has not yet been disclosed.

Insurance-free discounted drugs via DTC

According to a government spokesperson, self-paying patients can save up to US$2,200 per IVF cycle if they order via the direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform TrumpRx.gov without insurance. According to GoodRx, fertility drugs account for around 20% of total treatment costs, which range between US$15,000 and US$30,000 for an IVF cycle.

40% savings through DTC sales

According to Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker, the exclusion of intermediaries from the distribution chain helps to save around 50% of the drug price. Studies indicate that on average 41% of the drug price in the USA goes to intermediaries such as wholesalers, pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

Pharmaceutical companies operate their own DTC platforms

Independently of TrumpRx.gov, pharmaceutical companies therefore operate their own DTC distribution platforms in the USA: Eli Lilly (DTC platform: LillyDirect), Amgen (AmgenNow), Novo Nordisk (NovoCare® Pharmacy) and Roche (Xofluza® DTC programme). The price advantage for direct-paying patients currently ranges between 50% and 70% compared to the list price.