Scoop: Trump, RFK Jr. dine with Pfizer and Lilly execs
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a meeting of House Republicans last month in Washington. Photo: Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images
President-elect Trump hosted the chief executives of Pfizer, Eli Lilly and PhRMA Wednesday night at Mar-a-Lago, where they discussed how the public and private sectors can collaborate on finding cures for cancer, among other topics, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The patio dinner is a potential indication that Trump's administration will see the pharmaceutical industry as a partner — not just an adversary — for parts of its "Make America Healthy Again" agenda.
- There's been much speculation about how Trump's team will deal with the industry, given Trump's tough talk during the campaign and his pick of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary.
- Last month, drugmakers' share prices dropped after Trump announced the nomination of Kennedy, who was at Wednesday's dinner along with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump's pick to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, Lilly CEO David Ricks were at the dinner. Steve Ubl, CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represented the industry at the table. Trump's incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, also attended.
Zoom out: In his first term, Trump worked in concert with the private sector as part of Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics.
- But drugmakers are still reeling from Democrats' new law allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of drugs. During the presidential campaign, both President Biden and Trump promised even harsher crackdowns on the industry.
Zoom in: The meeting at Mar-a-Lago included a pre-dinner reception and lasted nearly three hours.
- As dinner was winding down, Trump entertained his guests by playing D.J. with his Spotify playlist.
Go deeper: Biden made finding a cure for cancer a central plank of his health care agenda, reviving the "moon shot" research program he spearheaded as vice president.
What they're saying: "After his historic victory, President Trump continues to have conversations with a wide range of industry leaders to talk about his agenda for the next four years and how to best serve the American people," a Trump spokesperson said.
- A Lilly representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Spokespeople for Pfizer PhRMA declined to comment.
