Key factors in the rising cost of new drug discovery and development

The public desire for new therapies, their increasing cost and the increased role of government as a payer for innovative new drugs all converge on the issue of the rapidly rising cost of new drug development-now thought to be greater than US $800 million-and highlight the necessity for an efficient use of resources. With this in mind, here we review studies on the cost of developing new drugs and consider how this cost has, and could be, affected by the changing environment for pharmaceutical research and development.