Danish Pharmaceutical Research Internationally-Orientated

The survey from the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation provides a collective, factual overview of pharmaceutical research in Denmark across the primary scientific fields and both the public and private sectors.

The survey also shows that Danish pharmaceutical research is of a high international quality. Danish researchers within the pharmaceutical field are the second most cited in OECD countries. As for the number of patents taken out, Denmark is one of the most active OECD countries measured per capita.

– It pleases me that we are so strong in the field of pharmaceutical research and much of the survey indicates that we have the basis to become even better. I am therefore pleased that, in connection with the recent negotiations for the distribution of the Globalisation Fund, we have decided to allocate DKK 105 million (€14 million) to strategic research in the fields of health, environmental factors and welfare technology in 2011. It is a venture that can contribute to supporting our current position of strength within the pharmaceutical field, says Science Minister Charlotte Sahl-Madsen.

Productive public-private cooperation

The survey documents how internationally-orientated Danish research is. Seventy percent of published Danish scientific research within the pharmaceutical field has been authored in cooperation with foreign researchers – significantly more than the 55 percent that accounts for Danish research as a whole.

The survey also shows that 12 percent of published Danish pharmaceutical research is written in collaboration between public and private parties.

– The way forward is to build on what already works well. International visibility and public-private cooperation is crucial if Danish research is to remain among the world's finest. And the survey shows that this is the case with the pharmaceutical field, says Charlotte Sahl-Madsen.

Minister for the Interior and Health Bertel Haarder is also pleased by the survey results:

– Denmark has a good starting point. Both because we have comprehensive health registries and biobanks and because we have a strong tradition of close cooperation with private pharmaceutical companies. However, it is important that we do not rest on our laurels. I have received reports that it has been too troublesome and takes too long to have a clinical trial approved. Of course, we must correct this. For example, I will create a type of reference book with clear guidance on how one registers a clinical trial so the process becomes shorter and easier.

Additional conclusions on the survey:

Public and private pharmaceutical research identified in the survey equates to 9,300 R&D full-time equivalents with a corresponding research expenditure of DKK 9 billion (€1.2 billion).

Collectively this equates to almost 16 percent of the total R&D full-time equivalents and 18 percent of the total R&D expenditure.

During an eight year period, the pharmaceutical industry has employed an increasing number of employees from all educational backgrounds, with the exception of the unskilled. For example, the number of PhD students has more than doubled.

• Read in Danish "Kortlægning ad dansk lægemiddelforskning" (Survey of Danish Pharmaceutical Research)

Science Minister Charlotte Sahl-Madsen via head of communications Anders Frandsen, tel: +45 3048 8450 or email: anf@vtu.dk.

Interim head of office Claus Beck-Tange, Danish Agency of Science, Technology and Innovation, tel: +45 3395 5226 or email: clbt@fi.dk.