Merck KGaA strikes IVF pricing deal with Trump administration

17 October 2025

German pharma group Merck (MRK: DE) has become the third company to strike a cost-cutting agreement with the Trump administration, joining Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) and AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) in pledging steep price reductions in exchange for relief from planned US tariffs on drug imports.

Merck’s US subsidiary EMD Serono will provide its portfolio of fertility therapies, including Gonal-f (follitropin alfa), Ovidrel (choriogonadotropin alfa) and Cetrotide (cetrorelix acetate), at discounts of up to 84% when used in a standard IVF protocol. The therapies will be made available via the new TrumpRx direct-to-consumer channel launching in January, while remaining accessible through regular pharmacy distribution.

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