All articles tagged with #pharmaceutical industry
Bristol Myers Squibb stock rose about 4% premarket after a Financial Times report that BMS and AstraZeneca discussed a potential $400 billion merger, while AstraZeneca ADRs fell. The deal would be one of the largest in pharma history and comes as 2026 sees a wave of big M&A activity, though analysts warned mega-deals can slow R&D productivity and pipeline progress.
Trump’s proposal would slap tariffs on imported generic medicines with two years of no duties, then 100% for a year and 200% thereafter, to spur U.S. manufacturing. Industry warns the move could raise prices or force manufacturers to absorb costs, shift production, or exit markets, and that meaningful onshoring faces four-to-five-year timelines. Impacts will vary by company based on existing U.S. footprint and product mix, and much hinges on policy specifics like whether tariffs apply to finished drugs or imported active ingredients and how “domestic manufacturing” is defined.
Eli Lilly said it will buy Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics and The Vaccine Company for almost $4 billion in cash to expand infectious-disease R&D, sending its shares higher in premarket trading. Curevo develops a shingles vaccine, LimmaTech targets resistant bacterial pathogens including STIs, and The Vaccine Company advances in vivo nanoparticle delivery technologies for drugs, genes, and diagnostics. The move comes as Lilly relies on Zepbound and Mounjaro for strong revenue and introduces Foundayo to compete with Novo Nordisk in obesity treatments.
Trump’s drug-pricing efforts have yielded uneven gains: Medicare's negotiated discounts cut some prices and cap out-of-pocket costs, and TrumpRx offered notable cuts on certain brand drugs, but overall about 1,000 branded drugs rose in price in early 2026, and benefits mostly reach cash-paying patients, with many discounts opaque and limited in scope; experts say the policy changes do not broadly reshape drug pricing.
The upcoming JPMorgan Healthcare Conference will showcase industry updates on drug pipelines, M&A activity, and the impact of recent drug pricing deals, with a focus on managing patent expirations, obesity treatments, and potential new drug developments from major pharma companies like Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Novo Nordisk, and Eli Lilly.
Johnson & Johnson has reached an agreement with the US government to lower drug prices for Americans in exchange for tariff exemptions, participating in initiatives to make medicines more affordable and building new manufacturing facilities in the US as part of a broader investment plan.
Johnson & Johnson has reached an agreement with the U.S. government to lower drug prices for Americans in exchange for tariff exemptions, participating in discounted drug sales and expanding manufacturing investments in the U.S.
Drugmakers plan to raise prices on at least 350 medicines in the US for 2026, including vaccines and cancer treatments, despite pressure from the Trump administration to lower costs. While some drugs will see price cuts, overall prices are increasing, with companies like Pfizer and GSK citing the need to support innovation and cover costs. These hikes occur even as the US continues to pay significantly more for prescription drugs compared to other developed nations.
Johnson & Johnson has discontinued its experimental eczema medication after it failed to meet efficacy standards, ending its $1.25 billion investment in the drug.
The former head of Pfizer R&D expresses concern about the future of the biopharma industry, highlighting past optimism about a productivity surge driven by genomic advances and new drug modalities, but implying that these expectations may not have been realized as hoped.
Novartis is close to acquiring Avidity Biosciences for over $70 per share, in a deal potentially valued at around $6.8 billion, aiming to strengthen its portfolio amid a wave of biotech M&A and upcoming patent expirations.
The FDA announced the first nine recipients of the Commissioner’s National Priority Review vouchers, which expedite drug reviews for products aligned with national health priorities. Notably, EMD Serono received a voucher after agreeing to lower prices for its fertility drugs, including Pergoveris, in a move highlighted by President Trump. The program aims to incentivize companies to develop and provide access to important medications.
Drug stocks are rallying as President Trump's proposed 100% tariff on branded pharmaceutical imports mainly affects companies without U.S. manufacturing, leaving most Big Pharma and generics unaffected. The tariffs highlight supply chain vulnerabilities and long-term national security concerns, especially dependence on foreign countries like China for generics, but could also hinder biotech innovation and complicate import processes.
Pfizer's surprise deal with the Trump administration on drug pricing, including measures like not launching new drugs at higher U.S. prices than in other wealthy countries and selling drugs at discounted rates, has caught other pharmaceutical companies off guard and increased pressure for similar agreements, potentially influencing future drug pricing and industry dynamics.
President Trump is set to announce the launch of 'TrumpRx', a website for discounted drugs, and a deal with Pfizer to lower medication costs, amid ongoing efforts to reduce drug prices in the US through policies like the 'Most Favored Nation' rule and direct-to-consumer sales channels, despite industry opposition and legal challenges.