Eroom's law podcast: $1B R&D now yields one new drug vs 50 in the 1950s — can AI help?
sebkrier · x · 2026-11-14
A new HARD DRUGS podcast episode asks whether AI progress can break Eroom's law in drug development. In the 1950s, $1B of R&D spending produced roughly 50 new drugs; today it yields about one. Inflation-adjusted R&D cost per approved drug has roughly doubled every nine years. The episode explores candidate explanations — rising evidence standards and safety-testing requirements driven by regulation and public expectations — and whether AI can reverse the trend.
Related event: Podcast Asks Whether AI Can Reverse Eroom's Law in Drug R&D(2 posts)→
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