WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump

will announce on Tuesday that Pfizer ( PFE ) plans to lower

prices on several of its medications in the United States, a

White House official said.

The White House is also planning to unveil a

direct-to-consumer website for Americans to buy drugs, called

TrumpRx, the official added. Pfizer ( PFE ) will launch sales of some of

its drugs directly to consumers through that website.

The New York-based drugmaker will also announce a $70

billion push on research and development and domestic

manufacturing, the official said.

Trump sent letters to 17 leading drug companies in July

telling them to slash drug prices to match those paid overseas -

a policy the president has called most favored nation pricing.

He asked them to respond with binding commitments by September

29.

Pfizer ( PFE ) would be the first company to announce a deal. A

company spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

The U.S. has been engaged in one-on-one talks with the

companies, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at a

cabinet meeting last month, adding that Commerce Secretary

Howard Lutnick was using the threat of tariffs on the industry

for additional leverage.

Trump signed a sweeping executive order in May demanding

drugmakers cut U.S. medicine prices to match those abroad,

saying that if companies did not comply, the government could

use rulemaking to bring prices down or pursue other measures,

such as importing cheaper medicines from overseas.

U.S. patients pay by far the most for prescription

medicines, often nearly three times more than in other developed

nations. The country also invests heavily in pharmaceutical

research and development. Drugmakers have said drastic price

cuts would stifle innovation.