Correct competence is crucial for life science companies

The pipeline of Swedish drug development consists of 73 projects in clinical phases and 33 projects scheduled to enter the clinic within a year. However, many of the projects planned to enter clinical phase are delayed. The reason for the delay is mostly lack of necessary competence, as shown by a Master thesis from SwedenBIO and Uppsala University. 

Globally, the cost to discover and develop new drugs has increased exponentially during the last decade. At the same time the number of new drugs on the market has decreased. The report ”Challenges in the Swedish Drug Development Environment” focuses on the delay between late pre-clinical phase and entry into clinical trials, i.e. when a drug is tested on humans and evaluated according to safety and efficacy.

Sweden is ranked among the top ten countries within life science, but faces the same problems as the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry – escalating costs and fewer new drugs. This is not only an issue for the industry itself, but a concern for the entire country, as the demographic changes, with a greater proportion of the population reaching old age.

The thesis discusses the transition between pre-clinical research and entry into clinical research and examines the reason for the frequent delays observed between the two phases. Four major environmental factors were identified as being particularly important for the drug development process; competence, innovation, funding, and regulatory demands, where having the right competence was the most crucial factor.

The full report is attached as a pdf-file.

For more information, please contact:

Karin Aase, MSc, PhD
Project Manager SwedenBIO

Phone: +46(0)8 - 21 36 02
E-mail: karin.aase@swedenbio.com

SwedenBIO has mission to create visibility and interest for the life science industry in Sweden and thereby support a successful industry. Life science is about "a reason to hope". A successful industry can heal and help those patients still suffering from unmet medical needs. A successful industry creates jobs and welfare and creates enormous opportunities for a healthier and brighter future. More information can be found at www.swedenbio.com.