Supreme Court rejects challenge to Medicare drug price negotiation

By John WilkersonMay 18, 2026

John Wilkerson, a Washington correspondent, is the author of D.C. Diagnosis, a twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday dealt a major blow to the brand drug industry’s legal campaign against the Medicare drug price negotiation program.

The court declined to take up lawsuits against the program by AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk. The justices did not give a reason for their decision.

The rejection was not a surprise. The drugmakers lost their appeals in lower courts, and the Supreme Court typically does not take up cases when there is agreement among lower courts.