On 1st December 2025, the government announced a new UK-US trade deal for medicines. The deal includes an agreement to zero tariffs on UK pharmaceutical exports and preferential rates for MedTech exports.
The Government also announced that it will invest around 25% more in innovative, safe, and effective treatments.
To enable this, they announced the following changes:
- An increase in the NICE cost-per-QALY threshold from £20,000 – £30,000 to £25,000 – £35,000 for all innovative medicines appraised by NICE.
- Implementation of a new value set for assessing health-related quality of life in NICE appraisals.
- A cap on the voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access and growth (VPAG) rebate rate that pharmaceuticals are subject to, meaning they will not repay more than 15% of medicines revenue under the scheme.
The Charities Medicines Access Coalition (CMAC), a coalition of 30 health charities representing millions of patients across the UK who is passionate about ensuring people and communities have timely access to treatment advances and that their needs and voices are shaping national medicines policy and informing decisions about the value and affordability of medicines, made the following statement:
“This agreement could mark a significant step forward for patients and has the potential to enhance access to proven innovative medicines. The Government now needs to build on the foundation laid by these changes and ensure that patients see the benefits. People living with cancer, long-term conditions and other serious illnesses need confidence that they will be able to access innovative new medicines that they could benefit from. Keeping patient needs at the heart of the process is essential, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure that it delivers real benefits for people across the UK.”