What Makes Diseases and Drug Research and Development Attractive for the Pharmaceutical Industry

Pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) is a highly competitive multinational industry that aims to produce innovative solutions to address global health problems. A key challenge faced by this industry is the significant variation in the R&D resources dedicated to different diseases and pharmaceutical research fields. This variation leads to some diseases receiving funding that appears to be disproportionally high when one considers the burden of disease, whilst other diseases remain neglected. This research seeks to identify determinants for the amount of interest in, and therefore the level of resources dedicated to, certain diseases and pharmaceutical research fields. The findings of the research will contribute to a body of knowledge used to inform efforts to achieve greater equity in the allocation of resources to pharmaceutical R&D. An example of such an effort is the structuring of financial incentives to improve commercial interest in neglected diseases.