Drug prices: Boehringer responds to Trump letter

Following US President Donald Trump's call for lower drug prices in the US, Boehringer Ingelheim has emphasized its willingness to cooperate.

"We will continue to work constructively with governments, regulators and patient organizations to ensure that patients have access to affordable medicines and that medical innovations for vital treatments remain possible," the pharmaceutical company said.

Trump had written letters to 17 major pharmaceutical companies, including Boehringer, demanding lower drug prices in the US, setting a deadline of September 29. Boehringer stated that it was also important to the company that medicines be available at prices that patients could afford.

Trump is demanding that manufacturers like Eli Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer ensure within 60 days that low-income earners benefit more from a "best price guarantee" for medications and that new drugs are automatically offered at the lowest price. In addition, any additional revenue generated abroad should be returned to American patients and taxpayers, as Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt explained to reporters.

Trump signed a corresponding executive order in mid-May. There is currently no central government regulation of this in the US. The pharmaceutical industry largely determines how much medicines cost, while the government has only limited influence. The problem with Trump's best price guarantee: New drugs are usually first introduced on the US market, so there's no way to compare lower prices.