Novara Live UK Set To Cave To Trump On NHS Drug Prices
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Oct 8, 2025 Helena, a political commentator known as NoJusticeMTG, joins Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now, and economist James Meadway for an insightful discussion. They explore the implications of rising drug prices in the UK due to pressures from Trump's policies. Helena warns about the erosion of public sector skills by AI and consultancies, while Dearden advocates for public funding in pharmaceuticals. Meadway raises alarms over the potential economic fallout from an AI valuation collapse, linking it to broader financial risks.
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How Raising NICE Shifts Costs To The NHS
- Raising the NICE threshold lets pricier drugs reach patients but increases NHS drug bills.
- Pharma will likely reprice to the new limit, shifting costs to taxpayers and patients.
Pharma Pulls Investment During Trump Visit
- AstraZeneca, Merck and Eli Lilly paused or scrapped UK investments while Trump visited.
- Those firms cited low UK drug prices as the reason for moving investment to the US.
Why Public Control Over Medicines Matters
- Big Pharma uses pricing power and political influence to neutralise state negotiation.
- Nick Dearden argues this shows need for a public R&D and manufacturing model instead of reliance on monopolies.
