Who benefits from biomedical science?

If we want to improve how research tackles the world's health problems, we need to be honest about our current priorities. Ismael Rifols and Jack Stilgoe report on new data showing the imbalance.

The world spends more than US$240bn every year on biomedical research and development. For pharmaceutical companies, who spend more than US$145bn each year, the motivation is clear: the development of new treatments that can ensure future revenue. For governments and charities (who provide the other 30% and 10% of public research and development (R&D), respectively), the justifications are more complicated. They certainly help support industrial innovation, but their stated priority is normally to address real health needs. With investments on this scale, we should ask where they are directed and who is really benefitting.

In many areas of science, asking "who benefits?" is complicated. The links between funding and outcome are hazy. Health research is clearer, as much of the research is defined by disease area and the World Health Organisation has statistics on the actual burdens of these diseases, measured in disability adjusted life years (DALYs) (years of life lost due to death or disability caused by a disease).