Does pharma R&D need a strategic reset? Adapting to a changing US landscape
Journal
Drug Discovery Today
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2025
Author(s)
Kwisda, Sebastian
;
Kremer Malte
;
Sievertsen, Niels
;
;
Hartl, Dominik
;
Abstract
R&D productivity has long challenged research-based pharmaceutical companies, raising concerns about the sustainability of their research-driven business models. These firms have traditionally relied on the U.S. as a stable hub for biomedical innovation, skilled talent, and high-price markets— supporting the biotech-leveraged pharma company (BIPCO) model However, recent geopolitical shifts—especially under the new Trump administration, including FDA budget cuts, reduced U.S. research funding, and pharmaceutical tariffs—are destabilizing this foundation. The once-reliable “safe harbor” is no longer secure. As a result, pharma R&D now faces strategic risks beyond its prior scope. With the weakening of the U.S.-centered innovation model, companies must rethink R&D pipelines, secure key technologies, maintain global clinical networks, and adjust supply chain and tax strategies. The viability of the current R&D model—rooted in U.S. leadership and premium markets—is now uncertain, requiring urgent strategic realignment.
Language
English
Refereed
yes
Publisher
Elsevier
Volume
30
Number
9
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Name
25 DDT pharma R&D reset.pdf
Size
157.85 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
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