A Bitter Pill
Rapidly increasing R&D costs are often exhorted as the primary cause for the rise in prescription drug prices, which have been soaring since the mid-�90s. The cost of a newly developed drug is $900 million, according to the recently revised estimate from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. But a breakdown of the costs and profits of an average prescription reveals that R&D accounts for just a measly 16% of the overall price. The retailer cost of operations; manufacturer sales, marketing, and operating costs; and the cost of materials are all much bigger line items.
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News Analysis
SARS Sequel?
False Positives
Morality Play
» A Bitter Pill
Stress Test
Rare Opportunity
Show and Tell
Joint by Joint
File-o-Facts
Columbia�s Lesson?
Briefly Noted
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