Far from costing British lives, as Aditya Chakrabortty suggests (What will be the cost of Keir Starmer’s new medicines deal with Donald Trump? British lives, 11 December), the UK-US medicines agreement is designed to support NHS patients by improving access to new and innovative treatments.
The agreement raises the baseline threshold used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to assess the cost-effectiveness for new medicines, enabling more treatments to be considered for NHS use.
It does not retrospectively increase the price of existing branded medicines. It also caps repayment rates for newer medicines at no more than 15% from 2026 to 2028, replacing an unpredictable system that has hampered investment and patient access to cutting-edge treatments.
The UK has fallen behind international competitors in both life sciences investment and access to innovative medicines. Only around one-third of new treatments are available to UK patients in all their licensed indications. A more predictable, internationally competitive commercial environment is essential to reversing this trend.
Richard Torbett
Chief executive, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
• Aditya Chakrabortty’s article covers just the latest example of the impact of Keir Starmer’s submission to Donald Trump. In September, the government agreed to a tech deal that relinquishes important controls over the development of our technology sector, and this has only emboldened the US to push for us to give up our digital services tax and ability to regulate AI.
Last week, Starmer admitted that he’d no longer consider joining the EU customs union as it would contradict elements of these deals. His desire to appease Washington means he’s handing over our sovereignty and eroding our rights. Unless we stop it, we’ll become no more than a US vassal state.
Nick Dearden
Director, Global Justice Now
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