Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-12-02 12:08Core Points - The UK and Northern Ireland have reached a historic agreement with the US for a three-year zero-tariff treatment on pharmaceutical exports to the US, which will significantly increase NHS's procurement of new US-developed drugs, leading to a projected 25% increase in net sales prices for these drugs [1][3] - The agreement includes key adjustments to the UK's medical assessment system, specifically the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which will revise its core evaluation framework to facilitate the entry of US drugs into the UK public healthcare system [1] - The new agreement reduces the obligation for pharmaceutical companies to refund a portion of their sales revenue to the NHS, thereby indirectly enhancing the profitability of these companies [1][3] Industry Impact - The UK government emphasizes that it is the first country to establish such a specialized pharmaceutical trade agreement with the US, which is expected to strengthen the UK's export advantage in the global pharmaceutical industry [1] - The agreement comes after previous tensions, including threats from the Trump administration regarding punitive tariffs on UK goods, which were ultimately resolved through negotiations [3] - The US market is a crucial revenue source for major UK pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, and the zero-tariff agreement will further lower their export costs and enhance product competitiveness [3][4] - Compared to the 15% tariff rate on various pharmaceuticals imported from the EU, the zero-tariff agreement provides UK pharmaceutical products with a competitive edge in the US market [4]