NIH-funded research played a part in the development of 18 FDA-approved therapies between 2000 and 2020, investing $670 million. By comparison, private firms invested $44.28 billion in these therapies, 66 times more than the federal government.

Fact of the Week: In the 18 FDA-Approved Therapies Developed With NIH Grants, Private Funding Was 66 Times Greater Than NIH Investment

This growth comes with real-world improvements to patient outcomes. The decade from 2010 through 2019 saw a 60 percent increase in new drug approvals compared to the previous decade.

Fact of the Week: The Pharmaceutical Industry Invested $83 Billion on R&D in 2019, a Tenfold Increase Since the 1980s

When universities invest in R&D, they can generate returns for themselves of up to 9 percent, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: When Universities Invest In R&D, They Can Generate Returns For Themselves Of Up To 9 Percent

ITIF commends NIST for taking steps to codify the clearly proscribed and intentionally limited intent and parameters of march-in rights as they pertain to the Bayh-Dole Act.

Comments to NIST on Rights to Federally Funded Inventions

Preserving Bayh-Dole—the “Inspired” Law That Underpins U.S. Leadership in Life-Sciences Innovation

Universities play a pivotal role in America’s technology economy, serving as a crucial source of research, inventions, patents, start-up technology companies, and regional economic and employment growth. The Bayh-Dole Act has played an instrumental role in spurring academic technology transfer activities that serve as vital drivers of American innovation.

The Bayh-Dole Act’s Role in Stimulating University-Led Regional Economic Growth

The Bayh-Dole Act's Role in Stimulating University-Led Regional Economic Growth

The administration and Congress should reject calls to seize intellectual property rights as a means of controlling the cost of drugs and other innovations developed with federal R&D funding through universities.

To Do: Defend the Bayh-Dole Act

Debates over high-priced prescription drugs tend to focus on whether the government should attempt to constrict the pharmaceutical industry, whether by reducing patent protections or by mandating lower prices. What these conversations miss, though, is that drug prices could also fall through the expansion of the pharmaceutical industry, rather than its restriction.

Fact of the Week: In 2017, FDA Approved 46 New Drugs and Over 1,000 Generic Drugs

When factoring in the high value of positive externalities created by new drugs, consumer prices become a small price to pay for the wealth of private and public benefits that biopharmaceutical innovations create.

Fact of the Week: University Patents Underpinned 50 Percent of FDA-approved Drugs

Related

Fact of the Week: In the 18 FDA-Approved Therapies Developed With NIH Grants, Private Funding Was 66 Times Greater Than NIH Investment

Fact of the Week: The Pharmaceutical Industry Invested $83 Billion on R&D in 2019, a Tenfold Increase Since the 1980s

Fact of the Week: When Universities Invest In R&D, They Can Generate Returns For Themselves Of Up To 9 Percent