Trump expands drug pricing pact as Novartis and Bristol pause CAR-T trials

President Trump revealed that nine more pharmaceutical firms - Alcon, Astellas, BeOne, BridgeBio, CSL, Sun Pharma, Kyowa Kirin, Teva and UCB - have entered pricing arrangements similar to those previously signed with the administration, pledging to sell new drugs at prices close to the lowest international rates, offer Medicaid “most-favored-nation” pricing, and in some cases support U.S. manufacturing and medical stockpiles.

The specific terms of these new deals have not been released, and analysts note the uncertain effect on overall drug affordability. In parallel, Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb announced pauses on several cell-therapy trials targeting autoimmune diseases after safety concerns emerged. Three participants in Novartis’ CAR-T trial of rap-cel suffered fatal immune reactions, prompting a hold, while Bristol Myers voluntarily stopped enrollment in its zola-cel autoimmune studies. Both candidates employ a rapid-production technology that differs from earlier CAR-T approaches, raising questions about safety and manufacturing trade-offs.