US industry body attacks BMJ article on pharmaceutical R+D

PhRMA has delivered a robust defence of US pharmaceutical innovation in response to a recent article in the British Medical Journal.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has criticised an article in a recent edition of the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Earlier this month (August 7th), Professors Donald Light and Joel Lexchin argued that the so-called innovation crisis in pharmaceuticals is a "myth".

They cited previous research showing that drug companies "have delivered innovation at a constant rate for almost 60 years" and claimed that complaints about a crisis are merely "a ploy ... to attract a range of government protections from free market generic competition".

But PhRMA has come out in defence of the industry, insisting that the analysis is "flawed" and provides a "misleading picture" of the regulatory challenges that affect biopharmaceutical innovation.

Matthew Bennett, the association's senior vice-president, said: "The reality is that the US is starting to lag behind other countries