
The Endpoints R&D 15: How many blockbusters does $124B buy the biggest spenders in drug research? (Not enough)
Some big themes become apparent as you get into the details on the world’s top 15 R&D players, ranked by overall spending in 2021.
Bottom line, this new look includes a $124 billion total for the Endpoints R&D 15, up $22 billion from the 2018 numbers. That’s a 22% jump in just three years, including a fast and furious assault on Covid-19, with distinctly mixed results. While many tried, only one of these big players — Pfizer — turned a historic opportunity into a major money earner with long-term potential. Merck, GSK with Vir, Eli Lilly, J&J and AstraZeneca, all made smaller — sometimes temporary — advances in vaccines or therapeutics. But the long-term potential for the second-tier players seems stunted compared to what Pfizer achieved.
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