Four times as many drugs to be launched

Leading pharmaceutical companies have set aggressive goals by planning to quadruple the number of new medicines launched annually, according to new Andersen Consulting research.

Is public health and welfare the driving force behind these goals? No. In the exact words of the company doing the research, the goals were set in order to "meet shareholder expectations" (emphasis added).

"Leading pharmaceutical companies' growth will be fueled by both the increased volume as well as the selection of new drug candidates with higher revenue potential." said Mary Jo Veverka, the Andersen Consulting partner who led this research.

The report, titled "Delivering on the Quest for Better Medicines," was based on interviews with more than 100 pharmaceutical company executives and regulatory officials.

"Research participants shared many of their changing tactics and strategies to increase the volume and revenue potential of new medicines over the next decade," an Anderson press release noted.