The United States has long been a leader in pharmaceutical development, with its universities playing a crucial role in driving innovation. A recent study found that between 2020 and 2024, universities contributed patents underpinning 50% of FDA-approved drugs, with American institutions responsible for 87% of those breakthroughs.
This dominance is a result of the country’s research funding model, which has supported the growth of top-tier research universities since the post-war era. The vision of Vannevar Bush, who led the Manhattan Project and advocated for basic research in his report “Science — The Endless Frontier,” laid the groundwork for the US’s biotechnology revolution.
However, with China investing heavily in academic research and pharmaceutical development, the US may soon face a challenge to its dominance. If America were to reduce funding for its research universities, it would risk losing its leadership in global drug development and economic growth.
The study’s findings have significant implications for the country’s economy and public health. With pharmaceutical companies accounting for over $2 trillion in market capitalization, the nation’s reliance on academic inventors is crucial to driving innovation. If this support were to dry up, decisions about which diseases to treat and therapies to develop would be made elsewhere.
The US research university system has been a key driver of success, with institutions like Stony Brook University contributing significantly to pharmaceutical development. Continued federal support for academic research is essential to maintaining the country’s leadership in global drug development and broad economic growth.
Source: https://www.statnews.com/2025/06/06/us-universities-fda-approved-drugs-research-patents-orange-book