R&D investment by US Biopharma remains strong despite ongoing economic challenges, reaching a record $65.3 billion

Despite a fragile economy, the USA's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies invested a record $65.3 billion last year in the R&D of new life-changing medicines and vaccines - an increase of more than $1.5 billion from 2008, according to analyses by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Burrill & Co.

This investment reflects the continued commitment of America's biopharmaceutical research companies to lead the world in the pursuit of new, life-saving and life-enhancing medicines. PhRMA-member companies alone spent an estimated $45.8 billion on pharmaceutical R&D last year, according to the PhRMA survey. The Burrill analysis shows that non-PhRMA pharmaceutical research companies in the USA spent an estimated $19.5 billion on R&D in 2009.

Investment in R&D by America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies remained strong last year, in the face of a weak economic environment and historically low growth in drug spending. While companies have been forced to make difficult business decisions, research spending as a percentage of sales remained high in 2009. Over the past nine years, the USA's pharmaceutical research companies have consistently invested around 18% of domestic sales on R&D activities.