President Trump Launches TrumpRx.gov to Bypass PBMs and Lower Drug Prices After White House-Requested Proposal by Professor Sarfaraz Niazi

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- President Donald J. Trump has announced the launch of TrumpRx.gov, a new federal pathway that allows patients to obtain high-cost prescription medicines directly from manufacturers, bypassing Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) whose intermediary role has been a primary driver of inflated drug prices in the United States. The initiative adopts a policy framework formally submitted by Professor Sarfaraz Niazi, Ph.D., in response to a direct request from the White House for his recommendations on drug pricing reform and regulatory modernization.

PBMs act as middlemen between drug manufacturers, insurers, and pharmacies, controlling formularies, negotiating rebates, and determining patient access. While originally intended to lower costs, PBMs now retain a significant portion of manufacturer rebates, impose opaque pricing structures, and frequently block lower-cost alternatives—particularly for biological drugs—resulting in higher out-of-pocket costs for patients. Despite years of congressional hearings and multiple failed legislative efforts to restrain PBM practices, meaningful reform has not materialized. TrumpRx.gov provides an executive solution where legislative approaches have stalled.

Pfizer is the first major pharmaceutical manufacturer to participate in TrumpRx.gov, with additional companies expected to follow. Under the program, manufacturers can supply medicines directly to patients at discounted prices, eliminating rebate capture and administrative markups imposed by PBMs.

The policy action follows a comprehensive advisory submitted by Professor Niazi on November 10, prepared at the administration's request. The submission addressed drug affordability, regulatory efficiency, global health governance, and aid effectiveness, emphasizing outcomes over process. Many of its recommendations have already been adopted by U.S. regulators, including the elimination of animal testing for biological drugs, removal of redundant efficacy trials for biosimilars, accelerated approval pathways for critical and rare-disease therapies, and the introduction of AI-based regulatory audits.

Notably, these reforms contrast sharply with the record of major pharmaceutical trade associations, which have publicly acknowledged affordability challenges while advancing no actionable solutions for reducing the cost of biological medicines. Over the past decade, Professor Niazi has submitted dozens of formal petitions, policy papers, and peer-reviewed proposals to industry associations outlining practical, science-based mechanisms to reduce biologic drug costs without compromising safety or innovation. These submissions were largely ignored, even as patient prices continued to rise.

"Real reform does not come from statements or task forces—it comes from structural change," said Professor Niazi. "President Trump acted where intermediaries and industry organizations would not, putting patients ahead of entrenched systems."

Professor Niazi has also long advocated that low-income countries be enabled to manufacture essential medicines and vaccines locally rather than rely on aid flows that frequently fail to reach patients. His critique of global health governance, including the effectiveness of the World Health Organization, has since been reflected in major shifts in U.S. policy.

Additional details of Professor Niazi's advisory are available at:
Niazi, Sarfaraz, Subject: A Rational Framework for American Prosperity, Institutional Authority, and Strategic Stability (November 10, 2025). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6119346 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6119346

Contact: 
Professor Sarfaraz Niazi, Ph.D.
[email protected]

SOURCE Professor Sarfaraz K. Niazi