Finding fuel for pharma

Paul Workman

It isn’t comfortable being in the pharmaceutical industry at the moment. The industry’s problems are well known: fewer new chemical entities get marketing approval and research costs are escalating out of control.

With many blockbusters coming off patent, profitability will be hard to sustain. Indeed, the rise of genomics is driving us towards personalised medicines for niche markets. Regulatory hurdles, safety concerns and pricing pressures all add to its woes. And, of course, all this is happening during a worldwide economic recession.