Analysis of pharma R&D productivity - a new perspective needed
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Updated: Jul 21, 2025

Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System
Published on: December 11, 2016
Alexander Schuhmacher1, Markus Hinder2, Alexander von Stegmann Und Stein3
1Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, THI Business School, Esplanade 10, DE-85049 Ingolstadt, Germany; University of St. Gallen, Institute of Technology Management, Dufourstrasse 40a, CH-9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Abstract:
R&D productivity continues to be the industry's grand challenge. We analyzed the R&D input, output, and outcome of 16 leading research-based pharmaceutical companies over 20 years (2001-2020). Our analysis shows that pharma companies increased their R&D spending at a compound annual growth rate of 6% (2001-2020) to an average R&D expenditure per company of $6.7 billion (2020). The companies in our investigation launched 251 new drugs representing 46% of all CDER-related FDA approvals in the past 20 years. The average R&D efficiency of big pharma was $6.16 billion total R&D expenditures per new drug. Almost half of the leading companies needed to compensate for their negative R&D productivity through mergers and acquisitions.
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