Big Pharma Calls For Socialized R&D

The rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” is the result of decades of overuse, in part due to intense promotion by the industry. The problem has always been addressed by developing new drugs, but companies have become reluctant to put significant resources into antibiotic R&D because its return on investment is minuscule compared to ROI for cancer, heart, diabetes or even sex drugs, which are often taken for a lifetime. Now more than 80 drug and diagnostic companies worldwide, including giants AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Pfizer, are calling for “new economic models,” says a New York Times report last week from Davos. They would provide government incentives for antibiotic development and would in theory reduce the need to push the product once it’s on the market.