This page features KEI blog posts, testimony, comments, and research on the transparency of the costs of research and development in the pharmaceutical sector.
United States Transparency Legislation
16 March 2017: KEI testifies before a Maryland House of Delegates Subcommittee on transparency legislation
10 March 2017: 2017 R&D Cost Transparency Proposals in the United States
8 March 2017: KEI Submission to Oregon Senate on R&D Cost Transparency Provisions in SB 793
2 March 2017: Company disclosures of R&D costs on SEC filings
6 September 2016: KEI Briefing Note 2016:2: 2015-2016 Pharmaceutical Transparency Legislation
6 March 2016: When governments mandate transparency of R&D costs, the details are important
International Transparency
14 September 2016: Summary of Report of United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines
The Panel cited the disparity in estimates of R&D costs as key evidence of the need for transparency of R&D costs. One recommendation called on governments to require disclosure of R&D costs and public funding to “drug regulatory and procurement authorities:”
“(a) Governments should require manufacturers and distributors of health technologies to disclose to drug regulatory and procurement authorities information pertaining to:“(i) The costs of R&D, production, marketing and distribution of health technology being procured or given marketing approval with each expense category separated; and
“(ii) Any public funding received in the development of the health technology, including tax credits, subsidies and grants.”
28 February 2016: Contribution to the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines on Increasing the Transparency of Markets for Drugs, Vaccines, Diagnostics and Other Medical Technologies by 17 civil society organizations, three members of European Parliament, and two academic experts.