Powering innovation through research and development
We need to strengthen the policies, conditions and partnerships that enable innovation to ensure we can deliver medicines and vaccines that will improve people’s lives.
Context
Delivering medicines and vaccines does not depend on scientific discovery alone. It depends on whether the systems around that discovery are strong enough to bring it to the people who would benefit, and turn innovation into better health.
While R&D has resulted in major health, economic and societal benefits – including transformative medicines and vaccines – it faces a number of risks. These include high failure rates, fragmented regulatory environments, pressures on public research funding, weakened incentives and declining trust in science. Left unaddressed, such challenges could slow the development of new medicines and vaccines at a time when unmet health needs remain substantial.
We are a critical juncture: advances in our understanding of human biology, data and AI capabilities are transforming the R&D ecosystem, making it more efficient and promising. Yet funding pressures and other external factors pose a real challenge. Strong commitment from all stakeholders is needed to strengthen the R&D ecosystem and help it thrive.
This will depend on coordinated action by governments, regulators, industry, academia, investors and patients. Trust in science, targeted incentives, strong policy and data frameworks, sustained investment and fit‑for‑purpose infrastructure will influence whether innovation reaches care.
Project resources
Enabling innovation: the R&D ecosystem for medicines and vaccines
Enabling innovation: The R&D ecosystem for medicines and vaccinesWhat we’ve achieved
HPP worked with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) to develop a policy brief about how the R&D ecosystem is evolving in practice; where pressures and bottlenecks – but also opportunities – arise; and how today’s policy choices will shape the future of innovation and access to new technologies. The brief is designed to support evidence‑informed dialogue among policymakers and other stakeholders, and provide a shared language for advancing forward-looking policies and actions.
Key partners and stakeholders
The policy brief was developed closely with IFPMA and IFPMA’s Research & Development and Innovation Committee.
Project funding
The policy brief was initiated, funded and developed with IFPMA.