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A History-Friendly Model of the Evolution of the Pharmaceutical Industry: Technological Regimes and Demand Structure

Author

Listed:
  • Christian Garavaglia

    (University of Milano-Bicocca, Faculty of Statistics - KITeS, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy)

  • Franco Malerba

    (KITeS, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy - Bocconi University, Department of Economics)

  • Luigi Orsenigo

    (KITeS, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy - DIMI, University of Brescia)

  • Michele Pezzoni

    (KITeS, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy - DIMI, University of Brescia)

Abstract

This paper examines how the nature of the technological regime governing innovative activities and the structure of demand interact in determining market structure, with specific reference to the pharmaceutical industry. The key question concerns the observation that - despite high degrees of R&Dand marketing-intensity - concentration has been consistently low during the whole evolution of the industry. Standard explanations of this phenomenon refer to the random nature of the innovative process, the patterns of imitation and the fragmented nature of the market into multiple, independent submarkets. We delve deeper into this issue by using an improved modified version of our previous “history-friendly” model of the evolution of pharmaceuticals. Thus, we explore how changes in the technological regime and/or in the structure of demand may generate or not substantially higher degrees of concentration. The main results are that, while technological regimes remain fundamental determinants of the patterns of innovation, demand structure plays indeed a crucial role in preventing the emergence of concentration through a partially endogenous process of discovery of new submarkets. However, it is not simply market fragmentation as such that produces this result, but rather the entity of the “prize” that innovators can gain relative to the overall size of the market. Similarities and differences with other approaches are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Garavaglia & Franco Malerba & Luigi Orsenigo & Michele Pezzoni, 2010. "A History-Friendly Model of the Evolution of the Pharmaceutical Industry: Technological Regimes and Demand Structure," KITeS Working Papers 036, KITeS, Centre for Knowledge, Internationalization and Technology Studies, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy, revised Nov 2010.
    • Handle: RePEc:cri:cespri:kites36_wp
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jean-Michel Dalle, 1997. "Heterogeneity vs. externalities in technological competition: A tale of possible technological landscapes," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 395-413.
    2. DiMasi, Joseph A. & Hansen, Ronald W. & Grabowski, Henry G., 2003. "The price of innovation: new estimates of drug development costs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 151-185, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Garavaglia Christian & Malerba Franco & Orsenigo Luigi & Pezzoni Michele, 2014. "Innovation and Market Structure in Pharmaceuticals: An Econometric Analysis on Simulated Data," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 234(2-3), pages 274-298, April.
    2. Christian Garavaglia & Franco Malerba & Luigi Orsenigo & Michele Pezzoni, 2013. "Technological Regimes and Demand Structure in the Evolution of the Pharmaceutical Industry," Economic Complexity and Evolution, in: Andreas Pyka & Esben Sloth Andersen (ed.), Long Term Economic Development, edition 127, pages 61-94, Springer.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Industrial dynamics; innovation; market structure; pharmaceuticals; History-Friendly model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C63 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Computational Techniques
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • L65 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Chemicals; Rubber; Drugs; Biotechnology; Plastics

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