CLINICAL DRUG RESEARCH - POINT-OF-VIEW OF INDUSTRY

Drug development today is a highly professional and costly affair, whe reby quality and speed are decisive competitive factors in a global se tting. Germany is in the process of losing its attractiveness for clin ical drug research as evidenced by a significant decrease in funding o f clinical drug research which at the moment amounts to about 1.5 bill ion DM/year. This decrease is due to an adverse environment created by a certain anxiety in public opinion regarding technological advances, an overburden of regulations, lack of an infrastructure in hospitals to work according to GCP and a regulatory agency which has to compete with momentarily more effective agencies in Europe (UK, France). A joi nt effort between industry and the medical profession is called for to change this situation for the better.