According to two sources, Pfizer was asked to increase production of its cholesterol medication Lipitor and its best selling cancer medication Ibrance, Eli Lilly was asked to increase production of insulin, and London based AstraZeneca was asked to establish a new headquarters in the United States.
According to two people familiar with the situation, White House employees, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and senior officials from departments like the Commerce Department and Health & Human Services are calling pharmaceutical executives almost every day.However, pharmaceutical firms are only the beginning.
The Trump administration is exploring agreements across up to 30 industries, including dozens of corporations deemed important to national or economic security, according to more than a half dozen people involved with the conversations.
Among other forms of assistance, the administration occasionally offers tariff relief in return for concessions, revenue guarantees, or equity investments in struggling businesses.
According to the insiders, the accelerated dealmaking is intended to give US President Donald Trump electoral victories ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump claimed on Tuesday that he and Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer, had reached an agreement to lower prescription prices in return for reprieve from proposed tariffs on imported medications.
Trump stated, "The United States is done subsidizing healthcare of the rest of the world," during an event held in the White House.
The optics of the accords are just as crucial as the actual arrangements; according to two people, the White House must announce them.
When Eli Lilly announced two new production facilities in September without including Trump, the administration called to ask why they didn't let the president make the announcement himself. Eli Lilly had to learn this lesson the hard way.
"As an American company, Lilly is committed to expanding manufacturing capacity in the US" Eli Lilly's spokeswoman indicated that the company was not aware of the discussion with the administration.
