The Satte givith and the State taketh away: Supporting the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe and the UK

Abstract: The European research-based pharmaceutical industry has been declining relative to its US counterpart for more than a decade. It remains a substantial and successful industry, and the UK continues to be a particular success story, but many challenges lie ahead in an increasingly competitive global environment. Recent attempts to reinvigorate and support pharmaceutical and biotech research and development have been numerous, and in the UK now include the R&D tax credit. But it is the operating environment and the structure of the market for pharmaceuticals that represent the biggest challenges for the industry and policy-makers.