U.K. in Talks to Ease U.S. Drug Access, Avoid Tariffs
The U.K. government is in talks to reform the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) thresholds, aiming to make it easier for U.S. buyers to access drugs at prices closer to those in the U.K. Meanwhile, President Trump has threatened tariffs on U.K. pharmaceutical imports if conditions for U.S. companies in Britain don't improve.
Pharmaceutical companies have been in discussions with the U.K. government over NHS drug spending. Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle revealed that some companies have been 'hard negotiators'. The U.K. government has proposed raising the NICE threshold by 25 percent, making it easier for pricier drugs to reach patients but potentially increasing overall NHS costs. British pharma giants AstraZeneca and GSK are hoping to strike deals with the U.S. administration to avoid U.S. tariffs on their exports.
The U.K. government is expected to brief local pharmaceutical companies on the details of the proposal later this week. However, it remains unclear how the U.K.'s proposal has been received by the U.S. administration. Earlier this month, Keir Starmer's chief business adviser Varun Chandra flew to Washington to negotiate, putting Trump's threatened tariffs on hold until agreements are reached.
The U.K. government's proposed changes to NICE thresholds aim to balance the accessibility of drugs with NHS costs. Meanwhile, negotiations continue between the U.K. and U.S. to avoid U.S. tariffs on British pharmaceutical imports, with the details of the U.K.'s proposal yet to be fully understood by the U.S. administration.
