The public sector contributes in many ways to the development of medicines, including subsidies for private industry research. It has been stated that “the public pays twice”, once for the research and development (R&D) of medicines with considerable public funding and again when buying them at high-prices that are often justified as needed to recoup the costs of R&D. Professor Light will present a novel framework to assess direct and indirect public contributions to the development of drugs, going beyond what is commonly recognized, including direct grants, tax benefits, fee waivers, market exclusivities and purchasing programs. The framework provides a more comprehensive way to assess total public contributions to drug development relevant for assessing medicines prices and designing incentives for drug development.
Speakers
- Donald W. Light, Professor of comparative health policy and psychiatry, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan University, Stratford; Adjunct professor in medical ethics, New York University
- Moderator: Marcela Vieira, Researcher and Project Coordinator of the Knowledge Network for Innovation and Access to Medicines, Global Health Centre
Webinar Materials
- Biographies of Speakers
- Presentation by Donald W. Light
- Darrow J. and Light DW (2021) “Beyond The High Prices Of Prescription Drugs: A Framework To Assess Costs, Resource Allocation, and Public Funding: Commentary Provides a Comprehensive Framework for Legislators and Scholars to Assess the Total Societal Costs of Prescription Drugs” Health Affairs 40(2).
- Q&A Session with the participants
