Tariffs
Biotech was starting to show signs of recovery after years of investor pullback—until new tariffs and economic uncertainty sent fresh shockwaves through an already fragile market.
Roche is committing $50 billion while Regeneron inked a $3 billion manufacturing deal with Fujifilm, allowing the pharma to “nearly double” its U.S. large-scale manufacturing capacity.
Disruptive conditions are typical in non-Western markets. The U.S. industry, thrown into a period of significant change as the Trump administration overhauls HHS and considers implementing tariffs, could learn a thing or two by looking overseas.
President Donald Trump in February threatened top pharma leaders, including Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks, with tariffs unless they reshore their manufacturing operations.
Like they say about the weather in Iceland, if you don’t like an action taken by the new administration, wait five minutes; it’ll probably change. The markets, it seems, don’t react kindly to that kind of policymaking.
With tariffs pushing manufacturing home to the U.S., Pitchbook warns of reduced M&A activity and venture capital funding.
Playing both sides of trade war, pharma companies are asking for certain compensations for scientific innovation and a smoother regulatory framework.
Analysts are “cautiously optimistic” about Trump’s executive order, noting that changes to the IRA drug price negotiation program will still require Congressional action before being implemented.
Analysts have had to throw out their assumptions for the biopharma industry’s recovery heading into the first quarter earnings period given the ongoing tariff drama.
In the company’s first-quarter earnings call Tuesday, J&J CEO Joaquin Duato said there’s a better way to encourage drug manufacturing in the U.S. than President Donald Trump’s threatened pharma tariffs.