On Thursday, U.S. President Trump unveiled two new initiatives aimed at increasing the accessibility of in vitro fertilization (IVF) services. This marks the first concrete action taken by his administration regarding the high costs and political sensitivity surrounding this medical procedure.
Trump reached an agreement with EMD Serono, a subsidiary of the German Merck Group: the company will lower the prices of certain fertility medications. In exchange, the U.S. government will waive tariffs on imported drugs—a measure that has yet to be implemented.
The Trump administration will also issue guidelines encouraging employers to directly provide fertility benefits to employees, similar to vision or dental insurance. This advice allows employers to offer additional insurance to employees and themselves at a fixed cost. However, it remains unclear how much this initiative will expand coverage, as it does not mandate employer participation.
During the press conference on Thursday, Trump stated that these initiatives would lead to "the birth of more lovely American children."
“We will significantly reduce the IVF treatment costs for millions of Americans, along with the prices of many commonly used fertility medications," Trump said. “Prices will drop significantly, a lot, a lot."
EMD Serono, the world's largest manufacturer of fertility medications, stated it would sell its IVF treatment drugs directly to patients, who will be able to purchase these medications on Trump's direct-to-consumer sourcing website, TrumpRx.gov, launching in January 2026.
This announcement comes as Trump is working to control prescription drug costs in the U.S. In recent weeks, he has reached agreements with Pfizer and AstraZeneca, aimed at making certain medications more accessible to Americans.