Signal The US Inflation Reduction Act and health technology assessment regimes are named as pricing pressure

Summary

NTT DATA says the pharmaceutical industry enters 2026 facing several pressures at once. One is a major patent cliff, as key products lose exclusivity. Another is tougher pricing and access rules, for which the report names the United States Inflation Reduction Act and health technology assessment regimes. A further source of strain is the growing complexity of biologics, cell and gene therapies and antibody-drug conjugates. The report argues that these high-science modalities and rising development costs increase the need for earlier predictive insight, faster go or no-go decisions and more targeted investment. Market access, medical and real-world evidence functions are expected to align with value-based agreements in response.