Key Point Summary – Mark Cuban launched Cost Plus Drugs

• Mark Cuban launched Cost Plus Drugs to fight soaring drug costs
• Company sells medications at cost + 15% + small fees
• No insurance needed—just low, transparent pricing
• Eliminates middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers
• Offers over 1,000 generics and expanding
• Partnering with hospitals and health systems
• Critics say it’s forcing Big Pharma to explain markups

A Billionaire With a Mission

Mark Cuban has built his fortune on bold bets. But this one might be his most disruptive yet.

The tech mogul and “Shark Tank” star isn’t chasing IPOs or NFTs—he’s going after Big Pharma. With his startup Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, the billionaire is shaking up the U.S. healthcare system by offering life-saving medications at prices Americans can actually afford.

And he’s doing it without insurance. Without rebates. Without games.

Just cost + 15% markup + $3 pharmacy fee + $5 shipping.

That’s it.

Why Now? Why Cuban?

The U.S. prescription drug market is worth over $600 billion. Yet for millions of Americans, simple generics like insulin, cancer drugs, or antibiotics are priced out of reach.

Cuban saw that—and got mad.

“No one should have to choose between food and medicine,” he said bluntly. “So we fixed it.”

With Cost Plus Drugs, Cuban is throwing out the old rulebook. The company bypasses pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), wholesalers, and other price-hiking middlemen. Medications are sourced directly from manufacturers, compounded when needed, and shipped straight to your door.

The Model: Radical Transparency

It’s not just about cheaper drugs—it’s about exposing the lies behind high prices.

Cost Plus Drugs publicly lists every price component:

• Drug manufacturing cost
• 15% flat markup
• $3 pharmacy fee
• $5 shipping

No hidden fees. Or mysterious insurance billing. No backdoor deals.

A 30-day supply of Imatinib—a cancer drug that can retail for over $2,500—costs just $14.40 through Cost Plus.

How? Because the real cost of many generics is shockingly low. The rest, Cuban says, is padding.

Growing Fast—and Loudly

Launched in January 2022, Cost Plus Drugs now offers over 1,000 medications, from antibiotics to antidepressants and heart pills.

It’s also expanding its network:

• Mail-order pharmacy through Truepill
• Partnerships with hospitals like the Mayo Clinic and Civica Rx
• Plans to build a drug manufacturing facility in Dallas

And Cuban isn’t shy about using his fame to fight for it. He’s taken jabs at insurance companies and Big Pharma on Twitter, in interviews, and even in congressional hearings.

“The current system is broken—and we’re showing how simple it is to fix it,” he said.

Patients Feel the Impact

For consumers, especially the uninsured and underinsured, Cost Plus is a godsend.

Stories pour in daily:

• A mom who saved $900 a month on leukemia meds
• A retiree who could finally afford his blood pressure pills
• College students ditching overpriced student health plans

And they don’t need to wait on the insurance system. Anyone in the U.S. can browse the site, place an order, and have prescriptions delivered quickly.

For people stuck in Medicare donut holes or dealing with sky-high copays, it’s a lifeline.

Pushback From The Industry

Of course, not everyone’s cheering.

Pharmacy benefit managers—who profit from complex rebate schemes—are feeling the heat. Critics warn that Cuban’s model, while admirable, may not scale for brand-name drugs or rare disease treatments.

Some argue it’s a band-aid, not a cure.

But Cuban doesn’t pretend it’s perfect.

“We’re not going to fix every problem,” he says. “But we’re going to force transparency. And that alone is progress.”

A New Kind of Healthcare CEO

Cuban’s not just writing checks—he’s involved. He regularly replies to customer tweets, addresses drug shortage concerns, and challenges health execs to public debates.

He’s bringing tech startup urgency to a sector that’s long been bogged down in bureaucracy and price secrecy.

And unlike other health startups, Cost Plus isn’t chasing profit. It’s chasing impact.

That may be why it’s gotten bipartisan praise—from progressive healthcare reformers to libertarian economists.

Even some in the pharmaceutical world quietly admit: Cuban might be onto something.

What’s Next for Cost Plus Drugs?

The company is just getting started.

Future goals include:

• Adding name-brand medications where feasible
• Expanding into telehealth and diagnostic services
• Pushing state and federal governments to rethink pharmacy laws
• Becoming the first national generic supplier with full price transparency

And Cuban says he won’t rest until every American can access affordable medication—no matter their income or insurance status.

“If we do this right,” he said, “we won’t just change the market—we’ll save lives.”