Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Pfizer does deal with Trump on prescription drug prices Pfizer and President Donald Trump on Tuesday said they had cut a deal in which the U.S.-based drugmaker agreed to lower prescription drug prices in the Medicaid program to what it charges in other developed countries in exchange for tariff relief. Trump also said Pfizer would offer that most-favored-nation pricing on all new drugs launched in the U.S. and flagged that other drugmakers will follow suit. US Pfizer deal powers health stocks as drugmakers court Trump European and U.S. healthcare stocks surged on Wednesday, propelled by a deal between Pfizer and President Donald Trump to lower prescription drug prices in the Medicaid programme in exchange for tariff relief. The agreement, seen as less punishing than some within the industry had feared, gives hard-hit global drugmakers a degree of clarity after a volatile year during which Trump has taken aim at the sector over high U.S. medicine prices. UK's Indivior to re-domicile to US after listing move Indivior said on Wednesday it plans to relocate its corporate domicile from the UK to the United States, establishing a new Delaware-based parent company, just months after the pharmaceutical firm moved its primary listing to New York. In July, it cancelled its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange to reduce costs and better align with its U.S.-centric business, joining a growing number of firms seeking deeper capital markets in the United States amid weak investor appetite and lower valuations in London. UK wins lawsuit against firm over gowns contract in COVID pandemic Britain's government on Wednesday won its lawsuit against a firm at the centre of a row over the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic, with London's High Court awarding 122 million pounds ($164.3 million) in damages. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) sued PPE Medpro in 2022, alleging the firm was in breach of a June 2020 contract to supply 25 million sterile surgical gowns. Trump administration targets deals in dozens of industries before midterms Eli Lilly was asked to produce more insulin; Pfizer to produce more of its top-selling cancer drug Ibrance and its cholesterol drug Lipitor; and London-based AstraZeneca to consider a new headquarters in the U.S., according to two sources. Pharmaceutical executives are getting near-daily calls from staff at the White House – including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles – and senior figures at agencies like Health & Human Services and the Commerce Department, two sources familiar with the matter said. US health insurers reduce Medicare Advantage operations in 2026 CVS Health, Humana and UnitedHealth Group will pull back on Medicare Advantage offerings next year, the companies said on Wednesday, as the health insurance industry braces for more decreases in government reimbursement. The U.S. government has been cutting back payments in the privately-run insurance program for people aged 65 and older or with disabilities since 2024 with an aim of reducing spending. Khrom Capital urges Acadia Healthcare to explore sale after 'lost decade' Khrom Capital Management, one of the largest shareholders of Acadia Healthcare, has called on the company's board to launch a formal strategic review, including a potential sale, citing years of poor performance and governance failures. The investment manager, in a letter to the company's board, also highlighted eroding shareholder confidence in leadership and incremental changes that are no longer sufficient, Acadia said on Wednesday. Factbox-Global drugmakers rush to boost US presence as tariff threat looms Global drugmakers are scrambling to shore up their U.S. manufacturing capacity and domestic inventory as the Trump administration moves ahead with a 100% tariff on imported branded and patented drugs, starting October 1. The sweeping measure has triggered a flurry of activity across the industry, including fast-tracking U.S. manufacturing projects, price cuts and direct-to-consumer sales. Factbox-Food companies to phase out artificial dyes, sweeteners in health drive U.S. packaged food makers have rolled out plans to eliminate the use of ingredients such as FD&C colors — a category of synthetic dyes — and sweeteners like corn syrup from their products, responding to the "Make America Healthy Again" initiative and changing consumer preferences. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary had said in April the agency aims to remove ingredients, including artificial food colors against the backdrop of mounting concerns about their potential links to health issues such as ADHD, obesity and diabetes. Health Rounds: Low-dose radiation safely eases arthritis pain Low-dose radiotherapy is a safe, effective treatment for mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis, three research teams reported in San Francisco at the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). In a randomized trial from Korea involving 114 volunteers with knee arthritis, significant reductions in pain and improved physical function were reported by those who received a low 3 Gy dose of radiation over the course of six sessions. Radiation doses after surgery for breast and head and neck cancers, by comparison, typically range from 45 to 60 Gy.
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