AstraZeneca increasing focus on US market, as it is 'first to provide access to patients': CFO
- - AstraZeneca increasing focus on US market, as it is 'first to provide access to patients': CFO
Anjalee KhemlaniJuly 30, 2025 at 4:10 AM
AstraZeneca (AZN) is shifting its focus to the US, calling itself an "American company" on Tuesday as it ramps up manufacturing and proposes price cuts for the US market.
CEO Pascal Soriot told reporters Tuesday that the company, which reported its best quarter to date on the same day, "We are a very American company. We are global, but we are certainly very much rooted and present in the US."
Tuesday's comment comes as the UK-based and UK-listed company is reportedly considering moving its main stock market listing to New York.
In addition, the company recently announced $50 billion in manufacturing commitments in the US — including a brand-new facility in Virginia — and stated its goal of having 50% of its revenue come from the US by 2030. AstraZeneca's top-selling drugs include cancer drug Tagrisso and diabetes drug Farxiga.
CFO Aradhana Sarin told Yahoo Finance that the moves are independent of Trump's tariff threats of up to 200% on the pharmaceutical industry.
"We have been thinking about our strategic manufacturing — this probably goes back 3 or 4 years," she said. "So, post-COVID, we made a strategic decision because we're such a global company that we needed to have segregated supply chains."
"This new facility [in Virginia] that we announced was part of the plan anyway," she added. "But that's separate, it's nothing to do with tariffs. It's actually based on the demand that we see potentially for our new cardiovascular medicine."
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin show documents related to a manufacturing site investment after signing them during an event at the Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C., on July 21. (Reuters/Umit Bektas) (Reuters / Reuters)
And there are other reasons why the market is more appealing — including how quickly products reach patients in the US versus other countries.
"When new therapies come ... the US market is almost the first to provide access to patients. Physicians ... are really into looking at the data," Sarin said, explaining why the US market is more appealing to pharma than other markets.
AstraZeneca is also focused on other strategies that appeal to the US government, including price cuts. It sent a proposal to the US government on price reductions for some of its drugs. The proposal is under review, Soriot said.
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Anjalee Khemlani is the senior health reporter at Yahoo Finance, covering all things pharma, insurance, provider services, digital health, PBMs, and health policy and politics. That includes GLP-1s, of course. Follow Anjalee as AnjKhem on social media platforms X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky @AnjKhem.
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