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How Falling Birth Rates Reshape the Pharmaceutical Industry
Description
In this episode of The Demographics Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how declining birth rates and aging populations are reshaping the pharmaceutical industry. They focus on a concrete case: the shifting R&D priorities at major drugmakers like Pfizer and Novartis, which are pivoting from blockbuster pediatric vaccines toward drugs for age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. The conversation zeroes in on a striking number: by 2025, the global market for drugs targeting age-related diseases is projected to reach $1.2 trillion, while pediatric drug R&D has declined by 15 percent over the past decade. Lucas and Luna discuss the economic implications, including patent cliffs, generic competition, and the rise of personalized medicine for older populations. They also touch on the role of government incentives in the U.S. and Japan to spur pediatric drug development despite demographic trends. Tune in for a data-driven look at how demographic shifts are quietly steering the future of medicine and healthcare spending.