Medscape reports that industry-sponsored research funding has fallen by more than 20% from 2014 to 2022, according to a new analysis. Timothy B. Niewold, MD, FACR, rheumatologist at HSS discusses the reasons behind this decline. 

This decline comes after an observed drop in research funding from the public sector. From 2014 to 2017, public-sector research funding to members of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) fell by 7.5%. Dr. Niewold said that he and colleagues have felt the funding squeeze from both public and industry sectors. "The budgets for trials have seemed tight," he told Medscape Medical News. With the overhead and cost of doing a trial at an academic institution like HSS, "sometimes you can't make the budget work," and researchers must pass on industry-funded trials.

The analysis also found that of all associated payments, less than 3% ($39.2 million) went to funding preclinical research, which is "more disappointing than surprising," Dr. Niewold said. Though clinical trials are expensive and require larger amounts of investment, industry partnerships at preclinical phases of research are important for devising novel solutions for these complex rheumatic diseases, he noted. "The clinical trials are one piece," he added, "but you need the whole research continuum."

Read the full article at medscape.com.