Abstract
The prevalence of COVID-19 has brought challenges to the global medical community. In the past 5 years, hundreds of preventive vaccines and therapeutic drugs have been launched globally, but there have been significant differences in the reasearch & development (R&D) speed, life-cycle, and commercial performance of different products. In terms of technology, some products have weaknesses such as outdated design routes, ineffective treatment effects, and low patient benefits. They cannot be improved under existing conditions and are ultimately eliminated by the market, causing pharmaceutical companies to suffer losses in R&D investment and time. Some products have good market prospects, but pharmaceutical companies face challenges in terms of production capacity and drug quality. At the legal level, some products have strong side effects and sequelae in clinical use, leading to consumer claims. Some products are embroiled in prolonged patent disputes, dragging developers and producers into a quagmire. Some products have been replicated, which has led to the problem of profit sharing. The more challenging issue is how regulatory agencies in various countries can use reliable standards and rigorous procedures to complete such a large number of drug’s market approvals. These pending technical and legal issues will have long-term impacts on the pharmaceutical industry, and it is also necessary to draw lessons from them.
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