Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40717765›Full record

ArticleHealth affairs scholar2025

Research and development investments for biologics independently developed by US biotechnology startups, 2017-2023.

Ilina C Odouard, So-Yeon Kang, Jessica Mo, Gerard F Anderson, G Caleb Alexander

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health affairs scholar, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ilina C OdouardDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5431-3979
So-Yeon KangDepartment of Health Management and Policy, School of Health, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20007, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6304-9368
Jessica MoJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0816-8831
Gerard F AndersonDepartment of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1845-1523
G Caleb AlexanderDivision of Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5622-2986

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Despite policy interest in pharmaceutical innovation, little is known about the investment needed for venture capital-backed startups to develop innovative biologics, a growing segment of the pharmaceutical marketplace. Methods: In a cross-sectional analysis of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug approval data, investment deal records, and clinical trials data, we estimated the investment needed for a biotechnology startup company to independently develop a biologic approved by the US FDA with priority review, an indicator of innovation. To isolate a homogenous set of cases, the sample focused on independent drug development of 13 drugs by 9 biotechnology startup companies that retained ownership of the drug from the start of development to FDA approval without being acquired or licensing the product. Results: We found that the median investment per FDA-approved biologic was $304.1 million (IQR: $289.9-$790.3 million) in uncapitalized costs, accounting for the cost of failures. Conclusion: This estimate represents the direct drug R&D investment needed for independent development of innovative biologic products by biotechnology startup companies.

Indexed as

biotechnologyinnovationinvestmentresearch and developmentventure capital

Identifiers

PMID40717765
PMCPMC12290397

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.