Asian pharma stocks tumble on Trump signal to cut U.S. drug prices

Japan Times

12-05-2025

Shares of Asian pharmaceutical companies fell after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a plan to order a cut in U.S. prescription drug costs to bring them in line with other countries.
Drugmakers were the worst-performing sector in Japan on Monday, dragging the benchmark Topix lower despite hopes of a U.S.-China trade deal broadly boosting markets across Asia. Chugai Pharmaceutical plunged as much as 10%, the most since February 2024, with peers Daiichi Sankyo sliding 7.8% to the day's low and Takeda Pharmaceutical losing over 5%.
Meanwhile in Hong Kong, BeiGene tumbled as much 8.8% and Innovent Biologics dropped 6.4%. In South Korea, SK Biopharmaceuticals, Celltrion and Samsung Biologics all fell over 3%. India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries lost 7% at one point, with Lupin and Aurobindo Pharma falling around 3%.
The declines come after Trump said on social media he intends to sign an executive order lowering the price of prescription medicines at 9 a.m. on Monday in Washington, after reports emerged of the plan last week. The announcement is pressuring drug-related stocks on worries their profits will take a hit if they have to reduce prices in the U.S.
Although the feasibility of Trump's plan is "questionable,' his announcement is negative for the pharmaceutical sector, Hidemaru Yamaguchi, a health care sector analyst at Citigroup Global Markets Japan, wrote in a note.
Firms that depend on the U.S. for a large chunk of sales, including Japan's Takeda, Astellas Pharma and Otsuka Holdings, are especially vulnerable, he added. Shares of Astellas and Otsuka also lost over 4% Monday.
Americans pay the most in the world for medicines, fueling innovation and driving the growth of the industry. Drugmakers have said revamping the system will slash revenue and stifle the development of breakthrough therapies that have the potential to lengthen and improve lives.
Trump cited the industry's argument, but said it meant that "the 'suckers' of America' ended up bearing those costs "for no reason whatsoever.' His social media post didn't detail how the order would work, or any limits that may apply.
It's not the first time Trump has targeted high drug costs.
His current plan seems similar to one proposed during his first term aimed at capping Medicare drug prices, Stephen Barker, an equities analyst at Jefferies Japan wrote in a note.
The effort was struck down in federal court after drug companies challenged it, claiming the administration hadn't properly carried out the rule-making process.
Still, a renewed push to lower drug prices may have an "enormous' impact on the sector's revenues, Barker said. That's because Medicare, a government-funded program that offers health insurance for people age 65 or older, and Medicaid, which covers low-income citizens, may collectively account for about 40% of all drug sales in the U.S., he said.
In Japan, Astellas, Ono Pharmaceutical, Sumitomo Pharma, Shionogi & Co. and Eisai may be at risk, according to Barker.
The U.S. government already negotiates prices for some of the highest-cost medicines used in Medicare under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which was passed in 2022 under former President Joe Biden, with more slated to be added every year.
Trump's plan likely only affects the drugs up for price negotiations under the IRA, said Evan Seigerman, head of health care research at BMO Capital Markets. "Importantly, the government has no power to set prices in the commercial market,' and potentially faces resistance from House Republicans to implementing legislation beyond what can be done via the executive order, he said.