Trump to announce TrumpRx prescription drug website expansion

President Donald Trump is expected to announce on May 18 a dramatic expansion of TrumpRx.gov, a government website listing discounted prescription drugs negotiated by his administration, a White House official said.

The Trump administration will add generic medications to the direct-to-consumer website, and billionaire Mark Cuban is expected to attend the White House event, BloombergNews first reported.

Cuban sells discounted generic medications directly to consumers through his Cost Plus Drugs online pharmacy.

TrumpRx, launched in January, is a key pillar of Trump's efforts to lower prescription drugs costs for Americans. The Trump administration has negotiated most-favored-nation deals with 17 large drug companies aimed at lowering prescription drug costs to levels seen in other developed nations. Before Monday's expected announcement adding generics, the website had listed only brand-name drugs from those 17 companies.

Trump has touted his efforts to make prescription drugs cheaper for Americans, but brand name drug prices on the TrumpRx website often have generic equivalents that can be purchased elsewhere, often at lower prices.

Contributing: Reuters