Today’s edition of the German business newspaper Handelsblatt reports on the current tariff situation in the United States. Dr. Roman Hipp, Senior Partner at Porsche Consulting, shared his assessment of the implications for the pharmaceutical industry.
For European pharmaceutical companies, it is less the specific design of potential tariffs that is causing concern than the renewed uncertainty they create. This uncertainty carries the risk that strategic decisions will be postponed and investments planned more cautiously. Stability is also highly valued in the United States. However, for at least the next 150 days, it remains unclear how the tariff situation in the U.S. will develop. As a result, pharmaceutical companies are unlikely to fundamentally change their strategies in the near term. Investments in the United States, such as in manufacturing facilities and innovation hubs, are expected to continue, but to be implemented more cautiously and over a longer time horizon. At the same time, a stronger focus on Europe and increased diversification toward Asia are gaining importance.
The announced U.S. price reductions for prescription drugs have so far not caused substantial harm to the industry. Instead, there has been a growing number of bilateral agreements between pharmaceutical companies and the U.S. government.
Read the full article in Handelsblatt (Paywall, German only, authors: Helena Smolak and colleagues).