Big Pharma gearing up to face the Patent Cliff | Philadelphia Inquirer

In recent years, however, that path has been remarkably unproductive. Statistics presented at a Bernstein Research conference this year showed that industry spending on research and development more than doubled since 1999 while the average number of new drugs approved by the FDA each year has declined.

"Drug development is not always linear; the more money you put in does not mean the more drugs you get out," Funtleyder said. "There is no magic bullet out there. No one has found a consistent source of new drugs or compounds."

Albert Wertheimer, a Temple University professor of pharmacy administration, said the industry had come to believe that research and development alone was not the answer.

"The takeaway message is you are better off buying the products from smaller companies or foreign companies that don't have marketing arms in the U.S.," he said.

via philly.com

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