An Overview of the Global Pharma Industry’s New Trends

Abstract

This study is a synthesis of the three main drivers that are exerting influence on the global pharmaceutical industry: 1) mergers and acquisitions, 2) R&D changes, and 3) a new pricing context. During the last decades, there has been a revolution in drug discovery and development thanks to pharmacogenomics, proteomics, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biomarker-driven studies, systems therapeutics, drug-target interaction prediction and artificial intelligence. However, there are signs that a problem of excessive pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is creating awareness among stakeholders that this situation is unsustainable with clear consequences for the global pharmaceutical industry´s predominant business model.

Keywords: Big Pharma, mergers and acquisitions, pharmaceutical R&D, pharmaceutical pricing, pharmaceutical innovation, business models

JEL Classification: M16