The Economics of Reproducibility in Preclinical Research

PLoS Biol. 2015 Jun 9;13(6):e1002165. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002165. eCollection 2015 Jun.

Abstract

Low reproducibility rates within life science research undermine cumulative knowledge production and contribute to both delays and costs of therapeutic drug development. An analysis of past studies indicates that the cumulative (total) prevalence of irreproducible preclinical research exceeds 50%, resulting in approximately US$28,000,000,000 (US$28B)/year spent on preclinical research that is not reproducible-in the United States alone. We outline a framework for solutions and a plan for long-term improvements in reproducibility rates that will help to accelerate the discovery of life-saving therapies and cures.

MeSH terms

  • Biomedical Research / economics*
  • Biomedical Research / standards
  • Reproducibility of Results*

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.