Abstract

Drug prices are a contentious issue. It appears inevitable that the pressure to reduce prices will come from all governments. Conversely, the cost of getting a drug to market is increasing as regulatory bodies, correctly, demand more efficacious and safer therapeutics. The cost of manufacturing effective drugs, such as biologics, also places further upward pressure on prices. So what is the solution? The industry #8211; and that includes biotechs, pharmas and government regulatory bodies #8211; has for too long focused on the development of better and more effective drugs, and not on the means to improve the way they are tested. If drugs could be proven to be clinically efficacious and safe sooner, and with fewer clinical trial requirements, then prices would drop considerably. This is a huge challenge, and will require considerable spend on disease R&D, and co-operation between different stakeholders. Clearly, it is an area for publicly sponsored initiatives, and some already exist.

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