AstraZeneca has announced an agreement with the US government aimed at lowering the cost of prescription medicines for American patients and expanding the company’s domestic manufacturing footprint.
The announcement follows a meeting between AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot, the US President and members of the US government. The company confirmed it has voluntarily met all requests outlined in the President’s 31 July letter to the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, which called for reduced medicine costs.
Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will launch direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales programmes targeting eligible patients with prescriptions for chronic diseases. Selected medicines will be offered at discounts of up to 80% less than list prices. The company will also make certain medicines available at reduced cash prices via the government’s TrumpRx.gov direct purchasing platform.
AstraZeneca also reached an agreement with the US Department of Commerce to delay Section 232 tariffs for three years. The extension will enable the company to complete its plans to onshore medicines manufacturing within the US.
Earlier this year, AstraZeneca announced a $50bn investment in its US manufacturing and R&D infrastructure. This includes a $4.5bn manufacturing facility currently under construction in Virginia, a new manufacturing site in Texas scheduled to begin construction later this month and a cell therapy manufacturing facility in Maryland set to break ground in early 2026. A second major R&D centre is also planned for Massachusetts, expected to open in late 2026.
The US already hosts 19 AstraZeneca manufacturing, R&D and commercial sites, employing more than 25,000 people. The company reported that in 2025 it contributed approximately US$20bn in overall value to the US economy.
Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, said: “Every year AstraZeneca treats millions of Americans living with cancer and chronic diseases and, as a result of today’s agreement, many patients will access life-changing medicines at lower prices.”