President Trump has called on U.S. industries to put America first, and the biopharmaceutical sector is answering that call with major actions to demonstrate our commitment to American patients and workers.
Historic investments are underway across America.
PhRMA member companies are delivering $500 billion in new U.S.-based manufacturing and infrastructure investment, injecting an estimated $1.2 trillion into the economy. For every $1 invested by our industry, another $1.60 is spent in other areas of the economy, creating a ripple effect. These investments will create more than 100,000 jobs - including 25,000 biopharma facility jobs - seizing on President Trump’s tax law changes and regulatory streamlining that make it more attractive to invest in the U.S.
The biopharmaceutical industry steps up for patients – every year.
Too many Americans struggle to afford their medicine because of a broken health insurance system that burdens patients with increasing out-of-pocket costs and coverage denials. Through company support programs, 10 million patients receive financial assistance from biopharmaceutical companies annually. At the same time, research shows over 1,400 medicines were excluded from commercials formularies in 2025 alone and this number has grown over the years with PBMs excluding an average of 27% more medicines each year.
- Zoom in: This includes a 164% increase in generics and biosimilars being excluded since 2022.
Connecting Americans with more convenient access to medicines.
Launching in January 2026, PhRMA plans to build a search engine that will point patients to prescription medicine direct purchase programs (DPPs), independently set up by biopharmaceutical manufacturing companies. AmericasMedicines.com will connect patients to DPPs where they can buy prescriptions directly from manufacturers as well as search the site’s 750+ patient assistance resources. While pharmaceutical manufacturers must make their own decisions to offer DPP, this new website will allow manufacturers to list a wide range of medicines and connect patients directly to available options.
But American patients will pay the price for bad policies if more is not done.
Proposals like most favored nation price controls and tariffs will undermine American leadership of the biopharmaceutical industry and limit treatment availability for patients. Europe continues to undervalue medical innovation. The U.K.’s own science minister acknowledged, “The tradeoff that’s been made for the past decade is a lower percentage on medicines, and we’re reaping the consequences of that now in a very urgent way.” Meanwhile, middlemen and others here at home pocket half of every dollar spent on brand medicines. These imbalances drive up costs for everyone.
The bottom line: Biopharmaceutical companies are doing our part to protect American patients and workers.
The biopharmaceutical industry is stepping up with new innovative cures, infrastructure investments, new jobs, as well as patient resources. However, to reduce price differentials with other wealthy countries, we should require PBMs to share savings directly with patients and reform misaligned incentives, fix the 340B hospital markup program, and force foreign governments to pay their fair share for cutting-edge innovation.
Learn more at AmericasMedicines.com.
Stephen J. Ubl
Stephen J. Ubl is president and chief executive officer of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which represents America’s leading biopharmaceutical research companies. The U.S. biopharmaceutical sector directly employs more than 800,000 Americans and invests more than $100 billion in research and development annually – more than any other industry in America.
Ubl leads PhRMA’s work preserving and strengthening a health care and economic environment that encourages medical innovation, new drug discovery and access to life-saving medicines. Ubl is recognized around the world as a leading health care advocate and policy expert who collaborates successfully with diverse stakeholder groups – including patient and physician groups, regulators, public and private payers, and global trade organizations – to help ensure timely patient access to innovative treatments and cures. The New York Times writes, “If anyone can find areas of agreement with the critics, or at least work productively with them, it may be Mr. Ubl. He is more conversant with the intricacies of health policy, and more adept at the politics."
Previously, Ubl served as president and CEO of medical technology association AdvaMed, where he helped facilitate landmark reforms related to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration product review process and Medicare’s coverage and reimbursement of medical technologies. He led the industry’s defense of breakthrough R&D, successfully delaying an innovation-stifling device tax, and, in 2013, was recognized by a leading industry publication as one of 10 people to have a lasting impact on the medical technology industry.
Ubl has worked extensively with patient advocacy organizations in health policy, including longstanding service on the board of the National Health Council, a leading umbrella organization for voluntary health care organizations and has been personally involved with JDRF (formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).
He is routinely recognized as one of Washington’s most effective advocates. Ubl has been recognized on Business Insider’s “DC Healthcare Power Players” and Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.” He is identified as a top health influencer by Medical Marketing & Media and PR Week magazines.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveubl/
President and Chief Executive Officer