Report Finds U.S. Leadership in Global Life Sciences in Decline

Although the U.S. has been at the forefront of the life sciences revolution, a lack of sustained federal funding in biomedical research and intensified competition are threatening its global leadership, finds a new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). Another problem for the U.S. is a lack of consistency and predictability in the level of biomedical research funding — particularly through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For example, while the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided a temporary increase in NIH funding, a scheduled sequestration in January 2013 would slash NIH funding by at least 7.8 percent, the report states. This boom-bust cycle causes uncertainty and makes it difficult for researchers or businesses to make long-term planning and investment decisions.

To assess biomedical research competitiveness, the authors examine trends in biomedical research funding over the past decade for the U.S. and three other countries — China, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. They also look at policies these countries have implemented to bolster competitiveness of their life sciences sectors. Read the report at: http://www2.itif.org/2012-leadership-in-decline.pdf.