
Pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) – statistics & facts
Key insights
- Total global spending on R&D in 2021
- 238 bn USD

Detailed statistics
Total global pharmaceutical R&D spending 2014-2028
- Top pharma company by R&D spending in 2021
- Pfizer

Detailed statistics
Top 50 pharmaceutical companies - Rx sales and R&D spending 2021
- Average cost of drug development in U.S.
- 2.6 bn USD

Detailed statistics
Pharmaceuticals: cost of drug development in the U.S. since 1975
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Overview
6
- Premium Statistic Total global pharmaceutical R&D spending 2014-2028
- Premium Statistic R&D spending growth worldwide on pharmaceuticals 2015-2028
- Premium Statistic Growth rate of R&D spending in pharmaceutical industry by major region 2007-2021
- Premium Statistic Number of drugs in the R&D pipeline worldwide 2001-2022
- Basic Statistic Pharma companies worldwide with active R&D pipelines 2001-2022
- Basic Statistic Projected most valuable R&D projects based on net present value 2022
Overview
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Total global pharmaceutical R&D spending 2014-2028
Total global pharmaceutical R&D spending 2014-2028
Total global spending on pharmaceutical research and development from 2014 to 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)
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R&D spending growth worldwide on pharmaceuticals 2015-2028
R&D spending growth worldwide on pharmaceuticals 2015-2028
Global growth in total pharmaceutical R&D spending from 2015 to 2028
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Growth rate of R&D spending in pharmaceutical industry by major region 2007-2021
Growth rate of R&D spending in pharmaceutical industry by major region 2007-2021
Annual growth of pharmaceutical R&D spending in Europe, the U.S., and China between 2007 and 2021
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Number of drugs in the R&D pipeline worldwide 2001-2022
Number of drugs in the R&D pipeline worldwide 2001-2022
Total number of drugs in the R&D pipeline worldwide from 2001 to 2022
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Basic Statistic
Pharma companies worldwide with active R&D pipelines 2001-2022
Pharma companies worldwide with active R&D pipelines 2001-2022
Total number of pharmaceutical companies with active R&D pipelines worldwide from 2001 to 2022
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Basic Statistic
Projected most valuable R&D projects based on net present value 2022
Projected most valuable R&D projects based on net present value 2022
Selected top pharmaceutical R&D projects based on net present value (NPV) as of December 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)
R&D performance by company
5
- Premium Statistic R&D spending share of top pharmaceutical companies 2019 and 2026
- Basic Statistic Top pharmaceutical companies in R&D spending growth 2021
- Basic Statistic Top 50 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies by R&D intensity in 2021
- Premium Statistic Top pharma companies worldwide 2022, by size of R&D pipeline
- Premium Statistic Distribution of pharmaceutical R&D companies by region 2022
R&D performance by company
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R&D spending share of top pharmaceutical companies 2019 and 2026
R&D spending share of top pharmaceutical companies 2019 and 2026
Top 10 pharmaceutical companies based on R&D spending as revenue share in 2019 and 2026*
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Basic Statistic
Top pharmaceutical companies in R&D spending growth 2021
Top pharmaceutical companies in R&D spending growth 2021
World's top 50 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies based on R&D spending growth in 2021
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Basic Statistic
Top 50 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies by R&D intensity in 2021
Top 50 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies by R&D intensity in 2021
World's top 50 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies based on R&D intensity in 2021
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Top pharma companies worldwide 2022, by size of R&D pipeline
Top pharma companies worldwide 2022, by size of R&D pipeline
Leading 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide by size of R&D pipeline as of 2022
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Distribution of pharmaceutical R&D companies by region 2022
Distribution of pharmaceutical R&D companies by region 2022
Distribution of pharmaceutical R&D companies worldwide by country as of 2022*
Characteristics of R&D pipeline
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- Basic Statistic Top therapeutic categories worldwide 2022, by number of R&D products
- Premium Statistic Worldwide top diseases 2022, by number of active drugs
- Basic Statistic Worldwide top origins for pipeline drugs by number of active drugs 2022
- Basic Statistic Worldwide pipeline drugs by delivery route share 2022
- Basic Statistic Worldwide top drug producing mechanisms of action by number of active compounds 2022
Characteristics of R&D pipeline
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Basic Statistic
Top therapeutic categories worldwide 2022, by number of R&D products
Top therapeutic categories worldwide 2022, by number of R&D products
Leading 10 therapeutic categories worldwide by number of R&D products as of 2022
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Worldwide top diseases 2022, by number of active drugs
Worldwide top diseases 2022, by number of active drugs
Leading 10 diseases worldwide by number of active drugs as of 2022*
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Basic Statistic
Worldwide top origins for pipeline drugs by number of active drugs 2022
Worldwide top origins for pipeline drugs by number of active drugs 2022
Leading 10 origins of drugs in R&D pipeline worldwide by number of active drugs as of 2022
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Basic Statistic
Worldwide pipeline drugs by delivery route share 2022
Worldwide pipeline drugs by delivery route share 2022
Percentage of drugs in R&D pipeline worldwide by delivery route as of 2022
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Basic Statistic
Worldwide top drug producing mechanisms of action by number of active compounds 2022
Worldwide top drug producing mechanisms of action by number of active compounds 2022
Leading 10 mechanisms of action in R&D pipeline drugs worldwide by number of active compounds as of 2022
Costs and ROI
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- Basic Statistic R&D cost to develop new pharmaceutical compounds 2010-2020
- Basic Statistic 3 year average R&D cost to develop new biopharmaceutical compounds 2010-2020
- Premium Statistic Percentage return on R&D among large cap biopharma companies 2010-2020
- Basic Statistic Percentage return on R&D among mid cap biopharma companies 2013-2020
Costs and ROI
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Basic Statistic
R&D cost to develop new pharmaceutical compounds 2010-2020
R&D cost to develop new pharmaceutical compounds 2010-2020
Average R&D cost to develop a pharmaceutical compound from discovery to launch from 2010 to 2020, by study cohort (in billion U.S. dollars)
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3 year average R&D cost to develop new biopharmaceutical compounds 2010-2020
3 year average R&D cost to develop new biopharmaceutical compounds 2010-2020
Three-year average R&D cost to develop a biopharmaceutical compound from discovery to launch from 2010 to 2020, by study cohort (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Percentage return on R&D among large cap biopharma companies 2010-2020
Percentage return on R&D among large cap biopharma companies 2010-2020
Percentage return on investments in research and development among large cap biopharmaceutical companies from 2010 to 2020
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Percentage return on R&D among mid cap biopharma companies 2013-2020
Percentage return on R&D among mid cap biopharma companies 2013-2020
Percentage return on investments in research and development among mid cap biopharma companies from 2013 to 2020
Outsourced R&D
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- Basic Statistic Total CRO market size worldwide 2015-2024
- Premium Statistic Global pharma CRO market size 2015-2024, by pre-clinical, clinical and discovery
- Premium Statistic Leading global contract research organizations based on revenue 2021
- Basic Statistic Clinical CRO market size worldwide 2015-2024
- Premium Statistic Veterinary CRO market revenues worldwide 2018-2027
Outsourced R&D
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Basic Statistic
Total CRO market size worldwide 2015-2024
Total CRO market size worldwide 2015-2024
Total contract research organization (CRO) market worldwide from 2015 to 2024 (in million U.S. dollars)
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Global pharma CRO market size 2015-2024, by pre-clinical, clinical and discovery
Global pharma CRO market size 2015-2024, by pre-clinical, clinical and discovery
Global pharmaceutical CRO market size from 2015 to 2024, by pre-clinical, clinical and discovery (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Leading global contract research organizations based on revenue 2021
Leading global contract research organizations based on revenue 2021
Leading global contract research organizations (CROs) based on 2021 revenue (in million U.S. dollars)
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Basic Statistic
Clinical CRO market size worldwide 2015-2024
Clinical CRO market size worldwide 2015-2024
Clinical contract research organization (CRO) market worldwide from 2015 to 2024 (in billion U.S. dollars)
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Veterinary CRO market revenues worldwide 2018-2027
Veterinary CRO market revenues worldwide 2018-2027
Projected size of the veterinary CRO market worldwide from 2018 to 2027 (in million U.S. dollars)
Opinions on pharma R&D
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- Basic Statistic Willingness to pay more taxes for additional medical research - U.S. adults 2019-2021
- Basic Statistic View of health research as a problem or solution for rising costs - U.S. adults 2020
- Basic Statistic Opinions on health care research spending among U.S. adults 2019-2020
- Premium Statistic U.S. approval of pharma companies' COVID-19 vaccine development handling 2021
- Basic Statistic Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. liaisons/clinical engagement 2020
- Premium Statistic Patient reasons for participating in clinical trials globally as of 2019
Opinions on pharma R&D
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Basic Statistic
Willingness to pay more taxes for additional medical research - U.S. adults 2019-2021
Willingness to pay more taxes for additional medical research - U.S. adults 2019-2021
Would you be willing to pay $1 per week more in taxes if you were certain that all of the money would be spent on additional medical research?
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Basic Statistic
View of health research as a problem or solution for rising costs - U.S. adults 2020
View of health research as a problem or solution for rising costs - U.S. adults 2020
When it comes to rising health care costs, would you say research to improve health is part of the problem or part of the solution?
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Basic Statistic
Opinions on health care research spending among U.S. adults 2019-2020
Opinions on health care research spending among U.S. adults 2019-2020
Percentage of U.S. adults that had select opinions on if there is enough spending on health care research as of 2019 and 2020
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U.S. approval of pharma companies' COVID-19 vaccine development handling 2021
U.S. approval of pharma companies' COVID-19 vaccine development handling 2021
Percentage of U.S. adults who approve of how pharmaceutical companies handled COVID-19 vaccine development as of 2021
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Basic Statistic
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. liaisons/clinical engagement 2020
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. liaisons/clinical engagement 2020
Negative impact of COVID-19 on engagement between U.S. medical science liaisons and clinicians as of 2020
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Patient reasons for participating in clinical trials globally as of 2019
Patient reasons for participating in clinical trials globally as of 2019
Share of clinical research participants globally that participated in clinical trials for select reasons as of 2019
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