FTC and DOJ Announce Listening Sessions on Lowering American’s Drug Prices

On April 15, 2025, President Donald Trump issued  Executive Order No. 14273, “Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, ” which outlines a series of targeted actions to lower prescription drug costs and improve access for Americans by optimizing federal health care programs, intellectual property protections, and safety regulations. Key directives include enhancing transparency and effectiveness in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, stabilizing and reducing Medicare Part D premiums, and accelerating approval of generics and biosimilars. Additional measures include streamlining drug importation, discouraging costly shifts in drug administration, increasing transparency in pharmacy benefit manager fees, and combating anti-competitive practices among drug manufacturers.

On June 11, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department’s Antitrust Division announced that they will jointly host a series of listening sessions to discuss the implementation of Executive Order No. 14273. The sessions will focus on improving the affordability of prescription drugs by increasing generic and biosimilar availability and reducing anti-competitive practices and regulatory barriers. FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson and Assistant Attorney General Gail Slate will direct the sessions, which will feature remarks by both practitioners and scholars. Ultimately, these sessions will inform the joint report contemplated by Executive Order No. 14273.

The listening sessions are scheduled for the following dates:

• Monday, June 30 at 2 pm ET – Anticompetitive Conduct by Pharmaceutical Companies Impeding Generic or Biosimilar Competition
• Thursday, July 24 at 2 pm ET – Formulary and Benefit Practices and Regulatory Abuse Impacting Drug Competition
• Monday, August 4 at 2 pm ET – Turning Insights into Action to Reduce Drug Prices

We will be monitoring these sessions carefully. After each session, we will post a summary of the discussion, along with our insights into the potential legal implications of the topics addressed.