UK-US pharma deal could lead to nearly 230,000 unnecessary deaths in England, analysis says | CNN Business

London —

A new trade deal between the United States and United Kingdom could result in more than 200,000 otherwise avoidable deaths in England by diverting billions of pounds away from vital health services, according to a new analysis.

In December, the UK agreed with Washington DC to increase the UK’s spending on new medicines from 0.3% of GDP to at least 0.6% over the next decade as part of a broader deal aimed at avoiding punitive tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump.

In return, the US said it will not impose levies on British exports of pharmaceutical products and medical devices for the next three years. In September, Trump threatened tariffs of 100% for some medicines imported into the US.

An analysis published in The British Medical Journal (BMJ), a peer-reviewed medical journal, on Wednesday said the deal is expected to cost the UK’s publicly funded National Health Service (NHS) an additional £45 billion ($60 billion) by the end of 2036 to pay for the new medicines.