Eli Lilly was asked to produce more insulin; Pfizer to produce more of its top-selling cancer drug Ibrance and its cholesterol drug Lipitor; and London-based AstraZeneca to consider a new headquarters in the U.S., according to two sources. Pharmaceutical executives are getting near-daily calls from staff at the White House — including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles — and senior figures at agencies like Health & Human Services and the Commerce Department, two sources familiar with the matter said.
But pharmaceutical companies are the tip of the iceberg.
Washington is pursuing deals across up to 30 industries, involving dozens of companies deemed critical to national or economic security, according to more than a half dozen people familiar with the talks. In some cases, the administration is offering tariff relief in exchange for concessions, revenue guarantees or taking equity stakes in troubled companies, among other types of help. The fast-paced dealmaking is designed to deliver political wins for U.S. President Donald Trump before the 2026 midterm elections, the sources said. On Tuesday, Trump announced a deal with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla to cut drug prices in exchange for relief from planned tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals. "The United States is done subsidizing healthcare of the rest of the world," Trump said in a event in the Oval Office.
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