The research-based biopharmaceutical industry faced new challenges during 2009, many rooted in the global economic recession, which further complicated a situation that was already characterized by the obstacles traditionally debated in this and other publications: generic competition, patent expirations and accusations of declining innovation. Once again, companies have been forced to seek out new strategies (mergers, acquisitions, licensing deals, offshore clinical testing and more) in order to cut costs and fill the gaps in their R&D pipelines. However, it is conceivable that the existing R&D model has limitations that can no longer be overcome via these traditional strategies and that the time has come for an entirely new model.