President Trump announced agreements with nine pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices in exchange for tariff relief, expanding his administration’s effort to bring American prices closer to those paid in other developed countries.

The companies include Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and UCB. Their medicines treat conditions including seizures, bacterial infections, high blood pressure and rare diseases. Under the voluntary agreements, participating manufacturers will offer state Medicaid programs most-favored-nation prices. The deals also extend that pricing commitment to new innovative medicines the companies introduce.

The announcement brings the total to 26 participating companies representing about 89% of the branded drug market. President Trump projected that the agreements would save Americans more than $600 billion over a decade. Manufacturers also outlined plans to expand American operations.

BeOne Medicines pledged nearly $11 billion for U.S. research, development and manufacturing through 2029. Separately, the White House said its TrumpRx platform had generated $700 million in savings since launching earlier this year.

Tariff relief gives drugmakers a financial incentive to lower prices in the American market, allowing the government to negotiate savings through trade policy. The agreements also cover new medicines, which could help preserve those savings as treatments change. Otherwise, discounts on existing prescriptions could be offset by higher prices for the drugs that replace them.

Lower Medicaid drug prices could ease pressure on state and federal budgets, giving taxpayers a stake in these agreements even if their own prescription costs remain unchanged. Companies representing most of the branded drug market have signed on, but that participation does not guarantee savings on every medication.

The administration’s projections will need to be measured against actual spending as the agreements take effect. Republicans heading into the midterms can point to the deals as an effort to address healthcare costs, though the strength of that argument depends on results they can show voters. Clear evidence of lower costs would give the policy more credibility than another announcement about how much Americans might eventually save.

For patients managing an ongoing condition, lower costs could make treatment a more predictable expense and reduce the need to put refills on a credit card or delay other purchases. Savings would accumulate with each refill, making even a modest reduction useful over the course of a year.

Still, a lower price negotiated with a drugmaker will not necessarily translate into the same discount on a particular prescription. The announcement offers no breakdown by medication or insurance plan, so patients cannot yet estimate their savings. Medicaid discounts would also reduce government spending, though enrollees might see little or no change in what they pay at the pharmacy.

While these agreements could ease a big financial burden, their value will depend on savings that last beyond the first discounted refill. Families managing chronic conditions need medication they can afford consistently, because those costs remain long after the announcement.