Posted by Michael Wonder on 08 Oct 2020
Accounting for US public funding in drug development: how can we better balance access, affordability, and innovation?
8 October 2020 - US drug prices are the highest in the world and are continuing to rise, with an increasing number of patients unable to afford taking their medications as prescribed.
Many of the most transformative new drugs have their origins in academic research institutions or government laboratories supported by US public funding, with for-profit pharmaceutical manufacturers often becoming involved later in the course of development, investing large sums in conducting clinical trials, and creating commercial production and distribution systems.
Reforms to ensure that such support is reflected in drug pricing could help to ensure that medicines are affordable without jeopardising clinically meaningful innovation.
