How Life Sciences Firms Are Evolving to Navigate Trade, Tariff, and Pricing Turbulence

As new pricing and trade policies take shape, 60% of life sciences and healthcare executives anticipate business disruption, according to a new survey from Deloitte.

According to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions’ “2025 Tariffs, Pricing, and Taxes Survey,”1 60% of life sciences and healthcare leaders are anticipating that the current or forthcoming tariffs and pricing policies will have “some impact” on their businesses. These pressures are not isolated, and could result in operational disruptions and strategic shifts.

In order to flourish in the midst of all this uncertainty, the report—featuring 120 healthcare and life sciences executives across the globe in an effort to gauge the evolving business landscape—suggests that businesses should consider becoming “quantum corporations,” which are responsive and highly adaptable companies that are able to implements various strategies simultaneously can be adjust if the data calls for it.

What is a quantum corporation?

There are companies that have started scenario planning and making strategic assessments, but only a small portion of have begun to enact full-scale operational changes needed to endure society’s current volatile environment. In order to achieve long-term success, the survey advises that organizations become hyper-adaptability, with the help of rapid data intake, distributed decision-making, and real-time feedback loops.

Key survey findings at a glance

Some highlights of Deloitte’s reports include that:

  • 73% of respondents have enacted scenario planning
  • 64% are striving to secure their supply chains
  • 10% have restructured their organizations

Key Takeaways

  • Sixty percent of life sciences leaders expect economic policies like tariffs to impact their business, prompting scenario planning and supply chain adjustments.
  • While 73% of companies have begun planning, only 10% have restructured operations, highlighting a gap between awareness and execution.
  • Deloitte recommends becoming “quantum corporations” that use rapid data, real-time modeling, and integrated strategies to thrive in uncertain environments.

Along with that, 64% of respondents noted that policy changes are affecting long-term commercial strategy, and 60% are maintaining R&D funding, pivoting their focus to clinical trial geographies and supply chain sources. Meanwhile, 17% plan to move manufacturing to the United States within five years. Known as reshoring, Brad Stewart, BDO’s national life sciences co-leader, recently spoke with Pharma Commerce2 regarding the operational or strategic steps pharma executives should be taking at the moment in order to mitigate risks while awaiting clarity on tariff implementation.

“I think to just simplify the things I would do if I were a US or even a non-US life sciences company looking to figure out how I managed my drug supply, and being able to get it to do business in the United States, is right now, I'd want to try and stockpile as much inventory as I could in the US, just to take that tariff uncertainty out of it. The product’s already on shore, and I can then sort of deal with what happens, or at least have a little bit more time to do that.

“… The industry now is starting to think very strategically. One challenge we have is we may not have all the information today to make the decisions that we need to, but we certainly have the tools available to build the model and forecast so that if someone says tomorrow, the tariff from this country, that country is going to be 22.1%, you can put that into the model and understand what impacts it's going to have on your business, and at least have the information necessary to make those decisions.”

Why strategic and operational integration is key

The survey also highlighted the concept that strategy and operations ought to be deeply integrated—there are a handful of companies that currently have the capabilities that allow for adaptability. If organizations are able to welcome structural flexibility, and evolve while making agility-driven, interdependent decisions, they have the opportunity to be successful.

“The global economic system, overall, is adjusting to new and evolving trade and pricing norms,” concluded the survey authors. “For life sciences and healthcare organizations, preparing for the future involves building the agility and resilience needed to thrive amid ongoing change. By taking proactive steps today, industry leaders can help position their organizations for success, no matter what tomorrow brings.”

References

1. Dhar A, Bhatt J, Konersmann T. 60% of Life Sciences, Health Care Firms Expect Impact from Tariffs, Policy. Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. July 22, 2025. Accessed July 25, 2025. https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/Industries/life-sciences-health-care/blogs/health-care/sixty-percent-life-sciences-health-care-firms-expect-impact-from-tariffs-policy.html

2. Saraceno N. How Pharma Executives Can Prepare for Tariff Uncertainty. Pharmaceutical Commerce. July 25, 2025. Accessed July 25, 2025. https://www.pharmaceuticalcommerce.com/view/how-pharma-executives-prepare-tariff-uncertainty

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