Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Process Optimization using High Throughput Automated Micro-Bioreactors in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Cultivation
Published on: May 18, 2020
The pharmaceutical productivity gap - Incremental decline in R&D efficiency despite transient improvements
Kenneth D S Fernald1, Philipp C Förster1, Eric Claassen1
1Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Athena Institute, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
Rising research and development costs, currently exceeding $3.5 billion per novel drug, reflect a five-decade decline in pharmaceutical R&D efficiency. While recent reports suggest a potential turnaround, this review offers a systems-level analysis to explore whether this marks a structural shift or transient reversal. We analyzed financial data from the 200 largest pharmaceutical firms, novel drug approvals, and more than 80 000 clinical trials between 2012 and 2023. Our analysis revealed that despite recent stabilization, the pharmaceutical industry continues to face challenges, particularly due to elevated late-stage clinical attrition, suggesting that a sustained turnaround in R&D efficiency remains elusive.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Discovery: Overview
Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics: Overview
Bioequivalence: Overview
Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Causes of Nonlinearity
Nonlinear drug absorption can occur when the process is rate-limited by solubility, carrier-mediated transport systems, or saturation of the presystemic gut wall or hepatic metabolism. For instance, high doses of riboflavin...
Chronopharmacokinetics: Time-Dependent Pharmacokinetics
Time-dependent pharmacokinetics refers to non-cyclical changes in drug rate processes over a period of time. It can lead to nonlinear pharmacokinetics, where the relationship between drug concentration and time is not proportional. Non-cyclical...
Dose-Response Relationship: Potency and Efficacy

