U.S. Medical Centers Need a New Model for Drug Discovery and Development

U.S. academic medical centers risk losing leadership in drug discovery and development as global competition—especially from China—intensifies and their model struggles to translate breakthroughs into treatments. To respond, they must adopt a faster, more integrated approach: build industry-style development capabilities, embed AI and automation, form strategic partnerships, invest beyond early-stage research, and expand global collaboration. These shifts can help close execution gaps, accelerate clinical progress, and sustain their role in bringing new medicines to patients.