Medicines are one of the most cost-effective methods to improve healthcare but that doesn't mean they come cheap. Stricter health regulations have escalated the average cost of developing a new drug has leaped from $0.8 billion in 2003 to $1.2 billion in 2005. Consumers would have to bear some of the increasing costs. But what actually goes into the price tag of a drug, and why is drug research so expensive? Speaking to industry players and academics, we explore the dynamics between innovation and prices in our medicines.

This documentary is brought to you in collaboration with Pfizer Malaysia.

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Tags:  pharmaceuticals,  research,  healthcare,  health economics,  drug costs,  treatment cost