Government Regulation—U.S. Regulation—Pharmaceutical Coverage, Pricing, and Reimbursement."
In the U.S., no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for drugs exists among third-party payors. As a result, obtaining coverage and reimbursement approval of a drug from a government or other third-party payor is a time-consuming and costly process that could require us to provide to each payor supporting scientific, clinical and cost-effectiveness data for the use of our medicines on a payor-by-payor basis, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be obtained. Coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the medicine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") or comparable regulatory authorities in other countries. Even if we obtain coverage for a given medicine, the resulting reimbursement rates might not be adequate for us to achieve or sustain profitability or may require co-payments that patients find unacceptably high. Additionally, third-party payors may not cover, or provide adequate reimbursement for, long-term follow-up evaluations required following the use of our medicines. Because some of our medicines and drug candidates have a higher cost of goods than conventional therapies and may require long-term follow-up evaluations, the risk that coverage and reimbursement rates may be inadequate for us to achieve profitability may be greater.
In April 2025, the Trump administration published Executive Order 14273 (90 Fed. Reg. 16441), "Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First," which generally directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") to take steps to reduce drug prices. In May 2025, the administration published Executive Order 14297 (90 Fed. Reg. 20749), "Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients" which generally, among other things, directs certain executive officials to "communicate most-favored-nation price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices for American patients in line with comparably developed nations" and facilitate direct-to-consumer and direct-to-business purchasing programs and directs the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to "take all necessary and appropriate action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in any act, policy, or practice that may be unreasonable or discriminatory or that may impair United States national security . . . including by suppressing the price of pharmaceutical products below fair market value in foreign countries." Subsequently, some pharmaceutical manufacturers have announced direct-to-consumer offerings with discounted prices or reached agreement with the federal government regarding prices for prescription drugs sold to U.S. patients and through Medicaid programs, and in February 2026, the Trump administration announced the launch of TrumpRx, a website operated by the federal government that is intended to redirect consumers to pharmaceutical companies’ direct-to-consumer channels. Additionally, in December 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") proposed a rule to implement the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE) Model and the Guarding U.S. Medicare Against Rising Drug Costs (GUARD) Model – both are new Medicare payment models under section 1115A of the Social Security Act. The scope, timing, and implementation details of these policies remain uncertain and may be subject to legal challenges, regulatory rulemaking, and changes in administrative priorities. If implemented, these policies could have a material impact on the pricing and reimbursement of our products in the United States, particularly those covered under Medicare Part B or Part D. Potential effects include reduced pricing flexibility, downward pressure on reimbursement rates and changes to market access dynamics and to pricing negotiations with commercial payors and international markets. Because the outcome, timing, and specifics of these policies are uncertain, we cannot predict the effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or prospects, but the impact could be material and adverse.
In addition, at the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations similar to those under consideration at the federal level, as well as laws designed to control pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic product pricing, including restrictions on pricing or reimbursement at the state government level, limitations on discounts to patients, marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, restrictions or other limitations on patient assistance, and, in some cases, policies to encourage importation from other countries (subject to federal approval) and bulk purchasing. Certain states are also pursuing cost containment efforts through Prescription Drug Affordability Boards and similar entities.
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed February 26, 2026. Read the filing