20 July 2016 - With both U.S. presidential candidates promising action on drug prices, November’s election could trigger a sea change in the industry, Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez figures.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Jimenez predicted that pricing pressures in the U.S. will only increase when a new administration takes over, whether that administration is helmed by Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump.

“We believe that, no matter which candidate wins, we will see a more difficult pricing environment in the U.S.,” Jimenez told the Financial Times, adding, “We all have to plan for new pricing models in the US that could help us ensure the sustainability of the system as the population ages.”

Clinton has proposed a range of measures to crimp drug prices, including reimportation of meds--particularly those where U.S. prices are at least double those in other countries--under standards set by the FDA. Trump has also said he wants the U.S. to have access to imported drugs. Clinton also backs a monthly cap on out-of-pocket prescription costs for patients.

U.S. pressure wouldn’t stop at the country’s borders, either, Jimenez predicted, with ripple effects particularly affecting Europe. Drugmakers “will be in trouble” if they don’t adapt, he told the newspaper.

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