[Ip-health] PLoS ONE: Financing of U.S. Biomedical Research and New Drug Approvals across Therapeutic Areas

[Matt Price]

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http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0007015

Background

We estimated U.S. biomedical research funding across therapeutic areas,
determined the association with disease burden, and evaluated new drug
approvals that resulted from this investment.
Methodology/Principal Findings

We calculated funding from 1995 to 2005 and totaled Food and Drug
Administration approvals in eight therapeutic areas (cardiovascular,
endocrine, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, HIV/AIDS, infectious disease
excluding HIV, oncology, and respiratory) primarily using public data. We
then calculated correlations between funding, published estimates of diseas=
e
burden, and drug approvals.

Financial support for biomedical research from 1995 to 2005 increased acros=
s
all therapeutic areas between 43% and 369%. Industry was the principal
funder of all areas except HIV/AIDS, infectious disease, and oncology, whic=
h
were chiefly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Total (=
=CF=81
=3D 0.70; P =3D .03) and industry funding (=CF=81 =3D 0.69; P =3D .04) were=
 correlated
with projected disease burden in high income countries while NIH support (=
=CF=81
=3D 0.80; P =3D .01) was correlated with projected disease burden globally.=
 From
1995 to 2005 the number of new approvals was flat or declined across
therapeutic areas, and over an 8-year lag period, neither total nor industr=
y
funding was correlated with future approvals.
Conclusions/Significance

Across therapeutic areas, biomedical research funding increased
substantially, appears aligned with disease burden in high income countries=
,
but is not linked to new drug approvals. The translational gap between
funding and new therapies is affecting all of medicine, and remedies must
include changes beyond additional financial investment.