Big Pharma, little science? A bibliometric perspective on big pharma's R&D decline

Rafols, Ismael and Hopkins, Michael M and Hoekman, Jarno and Siepel, Josh and O'Hare, Alice and Perianes-Rodríguez, Antonio and Nightingale, Paul Big Pharma, little science? A bibliometric perspective on big pharma's R&D decline. Technological Forecasting and Global Change, 2014, vol. 81, pp. 22-38. (In Press) [Journal article (Paginated)]

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English abstract

There is a widespread perception that pharmaceutical R&D is facing a productivity crisis characterised by stagnation in the numbers of new drug approvals in the face of increasing R&D costs. This study explores pharmaceutical R&D dynamics by examining the publication activities of all R&D laboratories of the major European and US pharmaceutical firms (Big Pharma) during the period 1995–2009. The empirical findings present an industry in transformation. In the first place, we observe a decline of the total number of publications by large firms. Second, we show a relative increase of their external collaborations suggesting a tendency to outsource, and a diversification of the disciplinary base, in particular towards computation, health services and more clinical approaches. Also evident is a more pronounced decline in publications by both R&D laboratories located in Europe and by firms with European headquarters. Finally, while publications by Big Pharma in emerging economies sharply increase, they remain extremely low compared with those in developed countries. In summary, the trend in this transformation is one of a gradual decrease in internal research efforts and increasing reliance on external research. These empirical insights support the view that Big Pharma are increasingly becoming ‘network integrators’ rather than the prime locus of drug discovery.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: Pharmaceuticals; Bibliometrics; Outsourcing; Europe; Globalisation; Research network; Innovation; Collaboration
Subjects: A. Theoretical and general aspects of libraries and information. > AC. Relationship of LIS with other fields .
B. Information use and sociology of information
B. Information use and sociology of information > BB. Bibliometric methods
B. Information use and sociology of information > BC. Information in society.
Depositing user: Antonio Perianes-Rodríguez
Date deposited: 25 Nov 2014 12:40
Last modified: 25 Nov 2014 12:40
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/24128

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