Rising pharmaceutical innovation in the Global South: a landscape study

BACKGROUND: There is growing interest in pharmaceutical innovation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but information on existing activities, capacities, and outcomes is scarce. We mapped available data at the global level, and studied the national pharmaceutical innovation systems of Bangladesh and Colombia to shed light on pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) in the Global South, including challenges and prospects, to help fill existing knowledge gaps. METHODS: We gathered and analyzed data from three types of sources: literature, semi-structured interviews with key informants, and publicly available data on R&D funding, R&D scientific capacity measured by human resources, and clinical trial activities. RESULTS: Pharmaceutical R&D activities are occurring in many LMICs, but 16 countries have emerged as frontrunners. Investment in R&D…