Over 12M euros a day on German drug R&D

Germany is making considerable progress towards regaining its international standing as a place for pharmaceutical R&D, according to the national research-based drugmakers' association, the VFA. Numerous advancement programs and the Excellence Initiative of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research are substantial reasons for this, the group added.

The federal government report on research and innovation in 2008, has concluded that commercial research is the motor for the German economy, Cornelia Yzer, the VFA's chief executive, noted. Figures for 2006 reveal that nearly 10% of the country's industrial expenditures for R&D were accounted for by Germany's innovative pharmaceutical companies.

Ms Yzer added that, "in 2007, their expenditures increased even further to total 4.52 billion euros [$7.13 billion]. That's more than 12.0 million euros daily!" The VFA chief warned that the improvements are "only meaningful, however, if the government does not obstruct these leading sectors by other, parallel measures. It is urgent that the extreme regulation density of the health care market must be defused."