White House plans new round of Medicaid drug-pricing deals with midsize biotechs

The White House plans to announce a new round of drug-pricing agreements with several midsize biotech companies on Monday, according to Bloomberg News ^[2]. Under the voluntary deals, the companies would discount outpatient drugs for state Medicaid programs so that the prices states pay align with what the companies charge in foreign countries ^[1][2].

Participation by state Medicaid programs would remain optional, Bloomberg reported ^[2]. The report did not name which drugmakers would agree to the reductions, and Reuters said it could not immediately verify the report ^[1]. The reports were published Wednesday, August 26, 2026 ^[1][2].

What earlier deals have covered

The administration has reached voluntary pricing agreements with 17 pharmaceutical companies to date, including Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Amgen, Reuters reported ^[1]. As part of those agreements, Reuters said, the administration also secured price reductions for GLP-1 drugs and expanded Medicare coverage for obesity treatments ^[1].

The reports on the new round did not say whether any GLP-1 medicines are covered by the agreements expected Monday, or which ones ^[1][2].

In May, the administration said the pricing deals are expected to generate $64.3 billion in federal and state savings over the next 10 years ^[1]. Reuters reported that U.S. patients currently pay by far the most for prescription medicines, often nearly three times more than patients in other developed nations ^[1].

A June 30 Reuters report described the administration's pressure campaign on drug prices hitting a snag with mid-sized companies ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Medicaid is run jointly by the federal government and the states, and the deals described are voluntary for states ^[2]. A discount negotiated at the federal level would therefore not automatically reach everyone covered by Medicaid. Whether a given state's program takes part would depend on that state's decision, and the reports do not say which states might join ^[1][2].

The agreements described cover outpatient drugs ^[1][2]. Whether a specific GLP-1 medicine would be included in the new round has not been reported ^[1][2].

People not covered by Medicaid — including those with commercial insurance or Medicare — are not directly affected by the Medicaid portion of the deals described ^[1][2]. Reuters reported that the earlier agreements also covered cash payers ^[1]; the reports on the new round describe Medicaid discounts only ^[1][2].

The $64.3 billion figure is projected savings for federal and state programs over a decade, not a per-patient amount ^[1]. The reports do not include estimates of what an individual patient would pay for a prescription under the new agreements, and no list of affected medicines has been disclosed ^[1][2].

What happens next

The announcement is expected Monday, according to Bloomberg News ^[2]. As of the reports, the companies involved, the drugs affected, the size of the discounts and whether states will opt in had not been disclosed ^[1][2].