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Macro trends in pharmaceutical innovation

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery volume 4, pages 78–84 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Critics decry the lack of 'truly innovative' new medicines and question the role of the pharmaceutical industry in creating the few that are developed. Is this an accurate portrayal of the state of pharmaceutical innovation? Does major pharma still innovate? If so, how? Must the industry innovate to survive? These and related issues are discussed.

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Figure 1: Distribution of drug patents by assignee 1982–2000.
Figure 2: Pharma R&D spending.
Figure 3: Pharmaceutical industry allocation of R&D expenditures selected years 1976–2002.
Figure 4: Pharmaceutical industry scientific and engineering personnel compared with aggregate industrial scientific and engineering personnel 1958–1999.
Figure 5: Center for Drug Evaluation and Research NDA approvals 1990–2003.
Figure 6: Recent trends in marketing authorization filings with the FDA.
Figure 7: Drugs in development by Phase, 1995–2004.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank D. Cohen for his assistance with data collection and C. Neslusan and the anonymous reviewers for critical reading of the manuscript.

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  1. founder, President and senior analyst at Crownstone, 3331 Street Road, Suite 140, Bensalem, 19020, Pennsylvania, USA

    Fredric J. Cohen

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Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

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Cohen, F. Macro trends in pharmaceutical innovation. Nat Rev Drug Discov 4, 78–84 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd1610

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