PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 447 - 28 Feb 2004

New framework needed for drugdevelopment

The current business model that is used to fundresearch and development (R&D) of new medicinesmust change, say Dr Tim Hubbard from the WellcomeTrust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK, and Dr JamesLove from the Consumer Project on Technology,Washington, US.

They argue that, under the existing system, new drugsare unaffordable for many people in both the developedand developing world; this is directly attributable to thebusiness model using a single payment to cover both thecost of manufacture of a drug and the manufacturers’expenditure on R&D to discover this drug. Intellectualproperty rules protect the financial interests ofpharmaceutical companies; a 20-year marketingmonopoly on a patented invention prevents competitionfrom manufacturers of generic medicines.

Other failings associated with this business modelinclude the lack of free exchange of informationbetween researchers and a consequent reduction in theprogress of research, note Drs Hubbard and Love. Theexisting system also rewards products that offer little ifany increase in efficacy over existing drugs; so-called‘me too’ products. An additional problem is thatpharmaceutical companies focus their R&D priorities onthe more lucrative health markets, in preference toresearching diseases that primarily afflict the poor.

These problems could be overcome by the creation ofseparate competitive markets for R&D and sales,suggest Drs Hubbard and Love. They say that a newvirtual market in R&D could provide incentives todevelop new drugs, with nationally directed R&D fundscompensating researchers and drug developers throughvarious means, such as large cash prizes to successfulfirms or non-profit drug developers, direct public sectorinvolvement in drug development, new opencollaborative development models, or governmentimposed research mandates.

If we can change the trade framework for globalhealthcare and move away from marketing monopolies,we will have a system of drug development thataddresses real health priorities and one that enablesmedicines to be accessible for everyone, concludeDrs Hubbard and Love.Public Library of Science. The future of drug development. Media Release 1426:2, 17 Feb 2004. Available from: URL: http://www.eurekalert.org 809031541

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PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 28 Feb 2004 No. 4471173-5503/10/0447-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved