RE:RE:Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) boosts biological drugs March 06, 2024 - Forbes - " ..... “the small molecule penalty.” The IRA calls for price controls to be instituted after a drug has been on the market for either nine years for small molecule drugs (i.e. pills) or 13 years for biological drugs (injectables). This four-year difference is a big deal for a biopharma company, )since) the last years of sales for any drug are its most profitable ..... There has been speculation as to whether this difference would spur any shifts in the strategies of companies in terms of the types of programs that they would work on. Would companies shift more of their early research toward large molecule drugs where the financial return could be significantly longer? Well, Pfizer has already indicated that they are making such a change in their oncology research endeavors. As part of their recent road show touting their cancer research, Pfizer said that they are now focusing on drugs that are biologicals and not the small molecules it has traditionally developed. By 2030, the mix of small molecules in its cancer portfolio will drop from the current 94% to 35%. It is doubtful that Pfizer is alone in such a strategic shift.
... the incentives of the IRA are such that more injectable drugs will be in our future at the expense of pills.
The “small molecule penalty” has also begun to influence the thinking of venture capitalists in terms of the types of start-ups that they will invest in. Peter Kolchinsky, a managing partner at health-care venture capital firm RA Capital Management, has said that he has already advised at least one company to prioritize biologics over small molecules. It’s highly likely that he is not the only venture capitalist making these recommendations.