Unbranded Humalog Is Cheap on TrumpRx—And GoodRx Enables It.

 

Back on January 27, 2026, the Office of Inspector General ("OIG") for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") released a Special Advisory Bulletin (the "Bulletin", see https://oig.hhs.gov/documents/special-advisory-bulletins/11450/OIG--FINAL--Special-Advisory-Bulletin.pdf for the bulletin) addressing exactly how the federal government would apply the application of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute ("AKS") to direct-to-consumer ("DTC") prescription drug sales, essentially saying that while it is not a "safe-harbor" exemption to AKS, pharmaceutical manufacturers can sell directly to a Medicare/Medicaid beneficiary without automatically triggering AKS concerns, provided the structure avoids what is referred to as inducement and seeding risks. 

That coincided with the subsequent establishment of TrumpRx by HHS (see the HHS announcement at https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/oig-clears-path-for-lower-cost-prescription-drugs.html for more), and TrumpRx was a a platform with the President's name and an ugly gold eagle logo on it through which American patients can buy selected prescription drugs directly from pharmaceutical manufacturers at what they referred to as a "Most-Favored-Nation" price, effectively bypassing profiteering middlemen including drug wholesalers (including McKesson, Cencora and Cardinal Health) and vertically-integrated (with commercial health insurance companies) Pharmacy Benefit Managers ("PBMs"). 

Donald Trump immediately boasted about the initiative, and was quoted saying:

"This launch represents the largest reduction in prescription drug prices in history by many many times, and it's not even close."

However, TrumpRx.gov was quickly panned by critics. NBC News, for example (see the news story at https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trumprx-isnt-much-drug-prices-take-change-rcna263944 for details), claimed that at least 18 brand-name drugs on TrumpRx had cheaper generics available via GoodRx or Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs. In some cases, consumers could save hundreds of dollars by going with the exact same generic medicine, instead of using TrumpRx's price. Because the TrumpRx website promised to offer the least costly prices in the world for 43 brand-name drugs, yet about half of those branded drugs were already available as less costly generics (usually for substantially less money), there was legitimate reason for skepticism. 

We also learned that TrumpRx is actually powered by GoodRx. In other words, it was an initiative with Trump's name all over it, and yet it was powered by the coupon-generating website and app known as GoodRx. We know this because on February 5, 2026, GoodRx Holdings, Inc. announced that it was a "key integration partner for pharmaceutical companies offering discounted cash prices on TrumpRx" (see the GoodRx press release at https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260205677365/en/GoodRx-Powers-Pricing-for-Leading-Brand-Medications-on-TrumpRx for details).

Indeed, we know that TrumpRx relies on GoodRx's pricing data and technology to power many of its listings, said Antonio Ciaccia (see HERE), CEO of 46brooklyn, a nonprofit group that tracks prescription drug prices: The coupon cards are processed through GoodRx's network, using the same BIN and PCN numbers — the codes pharmacies use to process drug discounts at the pharmacy counter.

However, even while his own company was beating the prices on many branded drugs at TrumpRx, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company co-founder Mark Cuban was not among the people echoing the NBC critique, and in response, Mr. Cuban wrote: 

"Everyone wants me to rip on TrumpRx. Reality is, it's saving patients money on IVF and a few other drugs. A lot of money," wrote the Shark Tank star.

He praised the team behind TrumpRx, mentioning names like the Director of Medicare, Chris Klomp, Deputy National Coordinator at HHS, Mark Atalla, and Director of CMS Innovation Center, Abe Sutton. 

Mark Cuban added: 

"TrumpRx is just getting started."

To be sure, TrumpRx is still far from the ideal solution to America's many healthcare problems, including the big spike in Obamacare insurance premiums which Donald Trump was directly responsible for helping to create.

That said, on the insulin front, TrumpRx is nevertheless offering a bit of a deal (at prices which are up to 65% lower than list prices), at least for the only insulin product currently being offered on TrumpRx website as I write this. On the TrumpRx website https://trumprx.gov/p/insulin-lispro/, Lilly's unbranded version of Humalog currently sells for slightly less on TrumpRx than unbranded Humalog sells for most anywhere else ($25 for 1 vial, a maximum of $35 for up to four vials), which is lower than any alternatives I've encountered so far including Lilly's own manufacturer coupons or on LillyDirect (though the latter options offer discounts on pens and pen-fill cartridges, while TrumpRx only offers discounts on 10 mL vials). 

There is at least one major caveat which is contained in the terms which users must accept (yet few people actually read) in order to receive their TrumpRx coupon. Specifically, the patient is limited to 13 prescription fills per calendar year using the TrumpRx coupon; if a patient's dosage requires more frequent refills, their TrumpRx discount may cut off. The TrumpRx coupons also have an expiration date on the last day of each calendar year.

So far, TrumpRx only sells Lilly's unbranded prandial insulin product (Novo discontinued its unbranded Novolog and Tresiba products already; I'm not really sure about Winthrop by Sanofi, and I believe that Biocon Biologics is now effectively using the company's new supply relationship with the CivicaScript operating unit of CivicaRx for insulin glargine and soon, also for insulin aspart; although no announcement has yet been made on lispro because Biocon Biologics does not yet have a biosimilar of that product approved for sale in the U.S., but is believed to be developing one as I write this.

However, my perspective is that a discount is still a discount, and it really does not matter where it comes from. Just use and enjoy it.