Fascinating new study on drug approval odds from BIO

I love this stuff.  The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is out with a new study detailing the probabilities of drug candidate with different characteristics achieving FDA approval.  Here is the complete http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110214006034/en/Study-Shows-Rate-Drug-Approvals-Previously-Reported


Here are the highlights:

• 10 of 11 drugs that enter Phase 1 (91%) fail to achieve FDA approval.  Of course this doesn't count all the of failed candidates that companies brag about cell culture or mouse experiment success with.
• The odds are better for the first attempted indication (1 in 7) than the secondary expanded indications (1 in 30)...prime example that comes to mind is Sutent from $PFE
• Large molecule drugs (monoclonal antibodies for example) succeed at twice the rate as small molecule drugs