UK is losing market share in pharmaceutical research

The NHS is becoming a steadily less attractive place for pharmaceutical companies to conduct clinical trials. That was the message delivered last week by Tadataka Yamada, chairman of research and development for SmithKline Beecham, at a meeting on how to make research and development in London more attractive to funders.

Pharmaceutical clinical research has increased worldwide in the past decade, but Britain's market share has fallen, even though the absolute quantity has remained about the same. The industry spends …