On 2 April 2026 the UK and the United States completed a pharmaceutical partnership that grants the UK zero tariffs on drug exports for at least three years, making the UK the first country to secure tariff‑free pharmaceutical trade with the US. The agreement also encourages companies to launch new treatments in the UK sooner, improving NHS patients’ access to innovative medicines. Earlier in March, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated its cost‑effectiveness threshold, allowing two new cancer drugs – a brain‑cancer therapy for patients aged 12 and older and a treatment for a rare stomach‑cancer form – to be recommended for NHS use. The partnership is part of a wider life‑sciences strategy that has added £28.5 billion to the UK economy in 2025, supports over 50,000 high‑skill jobs, and underpins ongoing investment and research commitments.
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