Hello, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it this far. It is an accomplishment, after all. The next step is to forge ahead. And why not? Just consider the alternatives. On that optimistic note, please join us for a needed cup or three of stimulation. Our choice today is peppermint mocha. Sweets for the sweets, yes? Meanwhile, here are some items of interest to get you going. Have a wonderful day and do drop us a line when you hear something juicy…
The country’s top drugmakers are set to meet in early December at the Four Seasons hotel in Georgetown with Donald Trump Jr. and senior Trump administration officials that regulate the pharmaceutical industry, The Wall Street Journal reports. The host is BlinkRx, an online prescription drug delivery company that this year installed Trump Jr. as a board member. The summit will conclude with a dinner at the Executive Branch, the exclusive new club founded by Trump Jr. and his close friends. Meanwhile, BlinkRx stands to benefit from a shake-up of how patients buy drugs after President Trump urged drug makers to sell their medicines directly to consumers. BlinkRx helps drugmakers do exactly that with a service that promises to set up direct-to-patient sales programs in as little as three weeks. TrumpRx, a new government website set to launch in early 2026, would funnel patients to direct-sale sites. The invitation to the “Future of Pharmaceuticals” summit prompted consternation among some drug-company representatives, who worried that the gathering signaled the White House wants them to work with the little-known BlinkRx because of its ties to the president’s family.
Meanwhile, the agreement between Pfizer and the Trump administration to lower drug prices has sent other companies scrambling to make a deal, STAT tells us. Several major drugmakers that received letters from President Trump demanding lower prices have been hustling to show progress, with some hoping to announce a deal with the White House as soon as this week. The growing chatter around potential announcements signals the Trump administration’s pressure campaign may be paying off. But whether the deals will actually accomplish the administration’s objective — lowering prescription drug prices — remains unknown. Other companies have previously been resistant to the administration’s sweeping demand that they lower prices in the U.S. to what other countries pay — a goal officials said was partly achieved in the Pfizer deal, though the details of the agreement remain private.
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