Funding of U.S. biomedical research, which enjoyed a “boom” in 1994-2003, has since declined substantially, according to investigators who tracked funding from four major sponsors of such research.
The current compounded annualized growth rate is 3.4%, compared with nearly 8% in the late 1990s and early 2000s, said Dr. E. Ray Dorsey of the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center and his associates.
The investigators had published a study in 2005 showing that public and private inflation-adjusted spending for biomedical research in the United States, had doubled over 1994-2003 (JAMA 2010;303:137–43).
They have extended that study to include data through 2008. They tracked funding from four major sponsors of biomedical research: the federal government; state and local governments; private, nonprofit groups such as foundations, charities, medical research organizations, and voluntary health organizations; and industry, including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device firms
Total funding for biomedical research increased from $75.5 billion in 2003 to $101.1 billion in 2007. Adjusted for inflation, this represents an increase of 14%. By comparison, the U.S. gross domestic product increased by 12% during the same time.
However, funding increased at a compound annual growth rate of only 3.4% in 2003-2007, compared with a nearly 8% rate in 1994-2003.
Industry spending on biomedical research also has decreased, from a compound annual growth rate of 8.1% in 1994-2003 to 5.8% in 2003-2007.
Federal funding increased by 0.7% in the more recent time period, compared with a nearly 100% increase during the previous time period. National Institutes of Health funding decreased nearly 9% in 2003-2007.
State and local government spending on biomedical research rose just 6% in recent years, compared with a 45% increase in 1994-2003. Funding by foundations and charities also slowed, especially during the recent recession, the investigators said.
Data on 2008 funding were available for only NIH and industry. Data adjusted for inflation show that funding from these two sources decreased from $90.2 billion in 2007 to $88.8 billion in 2008.
The study was supported by grants from the NIH. Dr. Dorsey and another colleague reported receiving research support from industry, NIH, and foundations. Dr. Dorsey also received research support from the American Academy of Neurology.