Biotechnology market share increases

The Gold Rush of billion- and multibillion-dollar human medicine brands started in 1995 for the pharmaceuticals and in 2000 for the biotechnology-derived brands and will continue to expand in the future. Despite the proclaimed and much heralded End of the Blockbuster Model for the pharmaceutical industry, the number of blockbuster drugs, their market share, and contribution to profits for companies has steadily increased (Table 1.5-5). 

As discussed earlier in the section on industry impacts, hybrid plant varieties shift marketing control upstream to the seed companies and away from the farmer. Linkages between plant varieties and certain proprietary inputs may constrain farmers to technology packages that increase farmer dependence on sole-source input suppliers. Although Third World farmers may produce more food with biotechnology products, part of the profits will be shipped to the developed-country homes of multi-national corporations. The question is over the relative share received by the farmers, the developing countries, and the multinational corporations. 

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