Developing New Contraceptives Obstacles and Opportunities (1990) / Chapter Skim
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6 Funding for Contraceptive Development
6 Funding for Contraceptive Development
Pages 75-88
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From page 75... ...
We present data on Mends in the funding of contraceptive development and of basic research in reproductive biology and review the support provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) , the Agency for International Development (AID)
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From page 76... ...
Funds generally move from government funding agencies and private foundations to university research centers, nonprofit research organizations, and small research firms. Some of the funds received by nonprofit organizations, such as Family Health International?
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From page 77... ...
Pharmaceutical Industry Funding Our analysis of the funding of contraceptive research and development is incomplete because we have only a very limited picture of the pharmaceutical industry's contributions. Given the resources available and the proprietary nature of the information, the committee found it impossible to obtain reliable estimates of the amount of money being spent on research on reproductive biology or contraceptive development by American pharmaceutical firms.
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From page 78... ...
Federal Funding To analyze trends in government and foundation funding of contraceptive development and of basic research in reproductive biology in the United States, the committee relied primarily on the data collected and published annually by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development through the Interagency Council on Population Research (ICPR)
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From page 79... ...
NICHD divides basic research in reproductive biology into the following areas: development and function of the reproductive system; female fertility; male and female fertility; fertilization, including immediate prefertilization processes; preimplantation development; implantation; and reproductive endocrinology. As defined by NICHD, contraceptive development includes research on drug syntheses and testing, drug delivery systems and oral formulations testing, vaginal and uterine contraceptive devices and drugs, and sterilization.
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From page 80... ...
The increase in support from NICHD and the decline in foundation support means that foundation funding now plays a very small role in supporting basic research in reproductive biology. In 1973, foundations accounted for about a fifth of all funding for basic research in reproductive biology; by 1987, foundations contributed less than 2 percent of all funds spent on basic biological research.
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From page 81... ...
The Environmental Protection Agency, which provided funding for research on reproductive biology from 1980 to 1985, discontinued funding in 1986. The Veterans Administration began funding research in reproductive biology in 1975 but discontinued reporting funding activity in 1981, although it still funds a small number of projects.
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From page 82... ...
In the early 1970s, private foundation funding provided for population research was concentrated on support to studies of reproductive biology; only 10 percent went to support contraceptive development activities. Dunng the 1980s, foundation funding for reproductive biology has decreased and now represents about 10 percent of all the foundation funding for population.
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From page 83... ...
Atkinson et al. estimate that private industry spent an estimated $22 million or about 35 percent of the total provided for contraceptive development, and seven specialized contraceptive development organizations spent an estimated $26 million or 41 percent of worldwide expenditures for contraceptive development.
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From page 84... ...
It usually takes three to six years to complete the training necessary for a career in basic reproductive research or applied contraceptive development. Declining or sporadic funding from foundations and government agencies contributes to a reduction of the number of scientists who are being trained in the field of reproductive biology and contraceptive development.
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From page 85... ...
The recent focus of public attention and scientific research interest on AIDS, on new biotechnology, and on genetic engineering, as well as the increased funding and research opportunities in these areas, together with the pharmaceutical industry's interest in programs to develop new drugs for degenerative diseases may also be diverting some scientists from the field of contraceptive development. The decline in the number of training grants in the reproductive sciences during the 1980s, combined with the other factors that have reduced the number of people entering the field, has led to a concern about the aging of scientists active in contraceptive development.
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From page 86... ...
But total expenditures for both training and research on reproductive biology outside the United States amounted to only 6 percent of the worldwide total expended in 1983 thus the contribution of these other countries is not large (Atkinson et al., 1985)
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From page 87... ...
A special grants program for young scientists might attract new talent and encourage more innovative research in the fields of reproductive biology and contraceptive development. The committee recommends that NIH expand its training program in the reproductive sciences and contraceptive development, preferably at a high and predictable level.
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From page 88... ...
Training grants in the reproductive sciences fluctuate widely from year to year, and there is a concern that the number of scientists actively involved in contraceptive development is very small and that the scientific literature on various new methods makes confirmation of the effectiveness and the risks and benefits of new methods difficult.
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