The rising cost of Phase 3 drug trials means the cost of bringing a new drug to market is between 4-8 Billion dollars. Inevitably this is going to raise the costs of new drugs to already overstretched health economies. Will this mean that only the rich or those in rich countries can afford to have new drugs (before their patent expires) ?
The question assumes there is not a two, three, or four tier "health economy". ANd, of course, these exist. The economy of states with national health plans is different from those where health is privatized. Thus in the US today one sees people unable to afford prescribed drugs, or even their copayments. Others, of course, have insurance that permits this. Globally, the issue becomes every more urgent as national incomes diverge and the monies for healthcare become more disparate. It makes little sense to ask this question, for example, in countries where the medical system is minimal and most make do with local herbs, herbalists, and rarely see a trained physician or nurse.
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