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Novartis, Roche back US efforts to lower drug costs amid talk of pricing deal
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Novartis and Roche support U.S. efforts to cut drug costs, collaborating with the Trump administration on a potential pricing deal.
ZURICH, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Swiss pharma giants Novartis and Roche on Thursday backed U.S. efforts to lower the cost of drugs and are working with the Trump administration towards that goal following a report they are close to a pricing deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump in July sent letters to 17 drugmakers urging them to slash prices. Pfizer and AstraZeneca first reached deals, agreeing to lower prescription drug prices in return for relief from tariffs.
Last month, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk agreed a deal to slash prices of popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs for U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs and for cash payers.
Novartis said it is in discussions with the Trump administration and is committed to finding solutions that lower costs for Americans and address price disparities between the United States and other high-income countries.
"We believe all countries should appropriately value and contribute fairly to the cost of innovation so that patients everywhere can benefit without delay," Novartis said.
In a statement, Roche said it supported Trump's goal of reducing the cost of drugs and encouraged other countries to reward biopharmaceutical innovation.
"We are committed to working with the administration and policymakers to craft sustainable solutions that preserve innovation and protect patient care," the company said.
A person familiar with discussions over trade said a drug pricing deal involving the two pharma companies could be getting closer but declined to say how imminent it was.
(Reporting by Oliver HirtEditing by Dave Graham and Miranda Murray)
Drug pricing refers to the process of determining the cost of medications. It involves various factors including manufacturing costs, research and development, and market demand, which can lead to significant price disparities across different countries.
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are medications that mimic the action of the glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone, which helps regulate appetite and blood sugar levels, leading to weight loss in individuals with obesity or overweight.
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