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Axios – Friday, October 10, 2025
By Adriel Bettelheim and Peter Sullivan
President Trump and pharma giant AstraZeneca on Friday announced a deal to lower drug prices that largely tracks with a pact the White House struck with Pfizer last week.
Why it matters: It’s a continuation of drug industry efforts to avoid tariffs or onerous new regulations without taking a big hit to profits.
Driving the news: Astra Zeneca committed to Trump’s “most-favored nation” pricing for Medicaid and for newly launched drugs in the future, meaning the lowest price the drug sells for in other wealthy countries.
- The company will also sell discounted drugs on the new government-run TrumpRx website, for consumers who choose to buy directly without using insurance.
- AstraZeneca also on Thursday announced it was investing $4.5 billion in a new manufacturing plant near Charlottesville, Va., part of $50 billion commitment in U.S. manufacturing and R&D.
- Under the agreement, the company said it will get a three-year exemption from tariffs.
Yes, but: The AstraZeneca deal, like the previous Pfizer deal, does not directly lower existing prices in Medicare or private health insurance, where most Americans get their coverage.
- Some details of both deals are also still unclear, making it hard to accurately evaluate.
What they’re saying: “Nobody ever thought they were gonna see [these prices].. and don’t let Democrats take the credit,” Trump said in an Oval Office press conference, alongside AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot.
What’s next: Other large drug companies are expected to reach similar deals in the coming weeks.
