AstraZeneca to strike landmark drug price deal with Trump administration

AstraZeneca PLC is expected to announce a deal with President Donald Trump to slash drug prices, people familiar with the plans said, making it the second pharmaceutical company to strike an agreement to advance one of Trump’s key health priorities. 

While details about the pact weren’t immediately clear, the accord stems from a major push by the administration to lower drug prices in the US and ensure other wealthy countries shoulder a larger share of the cost of developing breakthrough new medicines. 

The deal is expected to be announced at the White House on Friday, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plans are not yet public. 

AstraZeneca and the White House declined to provide a comment.  

Pfizer Inc. was first out of the gate in late September. It agreed to slash some drug prices by as much as 85% and sell them directly to the public in exchange for a three-year reprieve from the tariffs that Trump has threatened since the start of his second term. 

MSNBC reported the agreement earlier on Friday.