The UK’s pharma deal was vital – but the GSK boss is right about US dominance | Nils Pratley
That’s gratitude, eh? It’s not even a fortnight since the government agreed to raise the prices the NHS pays for new medicines and here comes the boss of GSK, Britain’s second largest pharma firm, to extol the virtues of doing business in the US,The US is “still the leading market in the world in terms of the launches of new drugs and vaccines”, said the chief executive, Emma Walmsley, in a BBC interview, explaining why GSK invests about three times as much over there as it does at home,Alongside China, the US is also “the best market in the world to do business development”,Her comments have caused a stir but, actually, are merely a statement of reality,It would be absurd to pretend the UK has suddenly shot to the top of the competitiveness table in life sciences as a result of the multipronged price and tariffs deal at the start of this month.
Yes, the UK retains excellent research facilities, links with universities and other soft “ecosystem” benefits – successive governments’ boasts about the UK being a life sciences “superpower” are not wholly fanciful.But the US remains streets ahead in terms of what it spends on new drugs, the depth of its research and manufacturing bases and the funding its startups and biotech businesses can raise.That’s just how things are.But, as Walmsley also said, this month’s deal on NHS prices and tariffs is welcome.Critics complain the terms represent a capitulation to big pharma and Trump.
But what else was the government supposed to do? If it is serious about the “superpower” stuff, it had to avert tensions that existed long before the president threatened to impose tariffs at nose-bleed rates on UK pharma exports to the US.Quarrels over NHS pricing were plainly related to lost investments in the UK, such as Merck’s scrapping of a £1bn research centre in London.One issue was the complicated “voluntary” price scheme, which tries to promote innovation while protecting the NHS budget via a cap.Companies’ rebate payments have been unpredictable and last year’s tally was 23% of sales, far above comparable rates in other large European countries.The other issue is the price the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) allows the NHS to spend on life-extending drugs.
The deal wrapped the items together.The UK got zero tariffs on exports to the US for three years.The price rebate was capped at 15%.And Nice raised its baseline price thresholds by 25% at the lower end.Cue the complaints about NHS budgets being diverted from frontline equipment and hospitals.
Yes, that is undeniably a risk: the health service’s spending on pharmaceuticals will rise by £3bn a year.But the alternative was less investment in the UK, which might create even more pressure on budgets over time and even less access for patients to new medicines.In a world of trade-offs, and from a tricky negotiating position, the government looks to have landed in roughly the right spot.A deal had to happen, as argued here many times.Walmsley called it “a step in the right direction”, which is positive but not a five-star review.
That is probably also fair,The plan is for the UK to double to 0,6% the percentage of GDP spent on new medicines over a decade, which leaves plenty of time for tensions to flare again,Meanwhile, the terms of the post-2029 “voluntary” scheme also have to be negotiated,But other projects are happening in the wings, such as the £600m-backed Health Data Research Service, which aims to “turbocharge access to NHS data for researchers” by exploiting the health service’s strength as a unified system.
At a time when the government’s industrial strategy seems to be moving in slow motion on several fronts, the position in life sciences could easily have been worse.It’s just that the pull of US will, undeniably, remain strong.
How to use a spent tea bag to make a boozy, fruity treat – recipe | Waste not
Save a used teabag to flavour dried fruit, then just add whisky for a boozy festive treatA jar of tea-soaked prunes with a cheeky splash of whisky is the gift you never knew you needed. Sticky, sweet and complex, these boozy treats are wonderful spooned over rice pudding, porridge, yoghurt, ice-cream or even panna cotta.Don’t waste a fresh tea bag, though – enjoy a cuppa first, then use the spent one to infuse the prunes overnight. Earl grey adds fragrant, citrus notes, builders’ tea gives a malty depth, lapsang souchong brings smokiness, and chamomile or rooibos offer softer, floral tones. It’s also worth experimenting with other dried fruits beyond prunes: apricots, figs and/or dates all work beautifully, too
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Festive treats: Adriann Ramirez’s recipes for pumpkin loaf and gingerbread cookies
As a self-proclaimed America’s sweetheart (Julia Roberts isn’t using that title any more, is she?) who moved to the UK nearly 10 years ago, there are a few British traditions and customs that I have adopted, especially around Christmas time. However, there are also a few American ones that I hold on to staunchly: one is the pronunciation of “aluminum”, and another is the importance and beauty of a soft cookie. In both of these easy but delicious bakes to share, I use spice and heat to balance the usual sweetness with which the season can often overload us.Prep 5 min Chill 1 hr Cook 50 min, plus cooling Makes 10-12520g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 8g cocoa powder 8g ground ginger 3g ground cloves 5g ground cinnamon 3g aleppo pepper 4g coarsely ground black pepper 7g table salt 3g bicarbonate of soda 225g soft unsalted butter 175g caster sugar 1 large egg (60g) 77g treacle 77g pomegranate molasses 40g golden syrupFor the icing120g icing sugar 30g waterWhisk the first nine ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Either in the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer, beat the butter for a few minutes until light and creamy
Nutcracker stocking fillers: Brian Levy’s recipe for sugar plum and coffee cookies | The sweet spot
These festive cookies are inspired by The Nutcracker’s Land of Sweets sequence, in which coffee and sugar plums are two of the flavours used to conjure a fanciful world of decadent diversion. Anything from a hard candy to a candied fruit can qualify as a “sugar plum” and, in the case of these cookies, the sugar plum is represented by the amarena cherry. Coffee’s bitterness balances the sweetness of the fruit and the rich butteriness of the dough, while the oat flour adds a dash of shortbread-like delicateness.Prep 10 min Chill 30 min+ Cook 35 min, plus cooling Makes 36185g room-temperature butter75g sugar2 tsp instant coffee/espresso powder1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powderFinely grated zest of ½ lemon½ tsp vanilla extract⅛ tsp fine salt 180g plain flour 85g oat flour 36 amarena cherries in syrupTurbinado sugar, or pearl sugar or icing sugar, for dippingIn the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, coffee powder, cocoa, lemon zest, vanilla and salt, at first on low and then medium speed, until creamy and fluffy.Add both flours and beat just until combined with no dry flour remaining; don’t overbeat because this can toughen the texture
How to make the perfect Dubai chocolate bar - recipe | Felicity Cloake's How to make the perfect …
If you’re asking what on earth chocolate has to do with a city with an average annual temperature of 28C, then you must have been stuck in the desert for the past three years. Because, since its creation in the UAE in 2022, apparently to satisfy chocolatier Sarah Hamouda’s pregnancy cravings for pistachio and pastry, this bar has taken over the world. Though food (among those with the luxury of choice, at least) has never been immune to the absurdities of fashion, the internet has supercharged and globalised the process, so much so that pistachios, which back in January were dubbed “the new pumpkin spice” by this very newspaper, are now everywhere, from Starbucks lattes to Aldi mince pies.The thing is, however, that whatever your thoughts on green, sugary, coffee-adjacent beverages, Hamouda’s Dubai chocolate developed for Fix Dessert Chocolatier has triumphed, because it really does taste as good as it looks: crunchy pastry, sweet chocolate and rich, slightly savoury nut butter are an incredibly satisfying combination, so a big bar of it is guaranteed to impress under the Christmas tree. Experience demands that I suggest you wrap it in a pet-proof box, however – emergency vet bills are no one’s idea of a great present
The ultimate unsung superfood: 17 delicious ways with cabbage – from kimchi to pasta to peanut butter noodles
Over the last 50 years, cabbage consumption in Britain has declined 80%. But it’s versatile, full of vitamins, and perfect on a winter night. Here’s how to make the most of itIt’s not good news: despite a lot of messaging about healthy eating, Britons consume 12% less vegetables per week than they did in 1974, when the government’s Family Food survey began. And while the consumption of some specific vegetables – courgettes, say – has risen over the past 50 years, others have experienced a sharp decline. Among the biggest losers is cabbage
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