President Trump plans to announce a policy proposal to make in vitro fertilization more accessible

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. government and Germany’s Merck KGaA have reached an agreement to lower the prices of several drugs used for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in exchange for shielding the company’s products from future tariffs.

Under the deal, Merck’s U.S. subsidiary EMD Serono will sell its fertility treatments — including Gonal-f, Ovidrel, and Cetrotide — directly to consumers. When used together in IVF, Merck said patients will receive a combined discount of 84% off the list price. Trump added that Merck has also committed to launching all new drugs in the United States at the same prices it charges in other advanced economies.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said his administration is also taking “historic steps to vastly expand access to insurance coverage for fertility care, including IVF — something that, as you know, was not covered.” Senior officials estimated that the new pricing structure could save American families roughly $2,200 per IVF cycle.

Merck confirmed it has reached a separate agreement with the U.S. Commerce Department to secure exemptions from any future industry-specific tariffs, provided the company increases investment in American research and manufacturing. The move follows a February executive order signed by Trump directing the government to expand IVF access and lower treatment costs. IVF procedures, which combine eggs and sperm in a lab to create embryos, typically cost $12,000 to $25,000 per cycle, and many patients require multiple cycles to conceive.