Drug Companies Boosted Lobbying by 23 Percent Ahead of TrumpRX Launch

"The 17 pharmaceutical companies anchoring TrumpRx, the White House's new prescription drug-pricing program, poured more than $130 million into federal lobbying in 2025 - a nearly 23% surge that outpaced the broader industry as the plan was being shaped behind the scenes."

"Those companies accounted for more than a quarter of the record $457.3 million spent on lobbying last year across the pharmaceutical and health product industry. And while newly filed 2026 first-quarter reports show no slowdown - industry-wide spending topped $131 million, a 5.7% year-over-year increase - the most consequential lobbying push came in 2025, ahead of TrumpRx's February launch."

"Among those participants in President Donald Trump's flagship "most favored nation" drug-pricing initiative, the 2025 spending spree was nearly universal: 15 increased their year-over-year totals, and eight - including Regeneron, which didn't join until April 23 - boosted spending by at least 25%, an escalation that coincided with the plan's final negotiations."

"Bristol Myers Squibb, maker of the anti-clotting drug Eliquis, nearly doubled its lobbying spending - an 84% jump to more than $10 million, one of the sharpest increases by any company in any sector. The surge came as Eliquis, which generated $13.3 billion in worldwide revenue in 2024, became subject to a 56% negotiated discount for Medicare Part D enrollees, dropping to $231 for a 30-day supply."

Seventeen pharmaceutical companies tied to TrumpRx spent more than $130 million on federal lobbying in 2025, a nearly 23% increase that exceeded broader industry growth while the program was being finalized. The companies accounted for over a quarter of the record $457.3 million spent across the pharmaceutical and health product industry. 2026 first-quarter filings showed no slowdown, with industry-wide spending above $131 million, up 5.7% year over year. The largest lobbying surge occurred in 2025 before the February launch. Most participating companies increased spending, and several raised it by at least 25% during final negotiations. Bristol Myers Squibb nearly doubled lobbying, and Regeneron increased spending after joining in April 2025.

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