Examining the link between price regulation and pharmaceutical R&D investment
Abstract
This paper examines the link between price regulation and pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) investment. I identify two mechanisms through which price regulation may exert an influence on R&D: an expected-profit effect and a cash-flow effect. Using established models of the determinants of pharmaceutical R&D, I exploit a unique fact to quantify firm exposure to pharmaceutical price regulation: relative to the rest of the world, the U.S. pharmaceutical market is largely unregulated with respect to price. Using this fact within the context of a system of quasi-structural equations, I simulate how a new policy regulating pharmaceutical prices in the U.S. will affect R&D investment. I find that such a policy will lead to a decline in industry R&D by between 23.4 and 32.7%. This prediction, however, is accompanied by several caveats. Moreover, it says nothing about the implications for social welfare; therefore, these issues are also discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Download Info
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Article provided by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. in its journal Health Economics.
Volume (Year): 14 (2005)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages: 1-16
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Web page: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/5749
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Joseph H. Golec & John A. Vernon, 2007. "Financial Risk in the Biotechnology Industry," NBER Working Papers 13604, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Joseph H. Golec & John A. Vernon, 2006. "European Pharmaceutical Price Regulation, Firm Profitability, and R&D Spending," NBER Working Papers 12676, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Patricia M. Danzon & Andrew Epstein & Sean Nicholson, 2007.
"Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries,"
Managerial and Decision Economics,
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4-5), pages 307-328.
- Patricia M. Danzon & Andrew Epstein & Sean Nicholson, 2004. "Mergers and Acquisitions in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industries," NBER Working Papers 10536, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Joseph Golec & Shantaram Hegde & John A. Vernon, 2005. "Pharmaceutical Stock Price Reactions to Price Constraint Threats and Firm-Level R&D Spending," NBER Working Papers 11229, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- John A. Vernon & W. Keener Hughen, 2005. "The Future of Drug Development: The Economics of Pharmacogenomics," NBER Working Papers 11875, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- John A. Vernon & W. Keener Hughen, 2006. "The Future of Drug Development: the Economics of Pharmacogenomics," Working Papers id:589, eSocialSciences.
- Shin-Yun Wang & Chih-Chiang Hwang, 2011. "Application of options to the pharmaceutical markets: The solutions of corruption and counterfeit drugs in emerging markets," International Journal of Accounting and Information Management, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 19(2), pages 169-181, June.
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