Big Data in Pharmaceutical R&D: Creating a Sustainable R&D Engine

Over the last 20 years, productivity in the pharmaceutical industry has been diminishing because of constantly increasing costs while output has overall been stagnant. Despite many efforts, productivity remains a challenge within the industry. At the same time, healthcare providers quite rightly require better value for money and clear evidence that new drugs are better than the current standard of care, making a complex situation even more complex. With the implementation of 'Big Data' initiatives trying to integrate data from disparate data sources and disciplines that are available in life science, the industry has identified a new frontier that might provide the insights needed to turn the ship around and allow the industry to return to sustainable growth.