The revenue-proportional R&D costs in pharmaceutical industry are well above industry average. The number and rate of patent applications are high. This innovative attitude has won recognition for our industry all over the world.

With a continuous renewal built upon decades of experiences conditions are given for us to adapt competitively to the industry, the innovation network and the drug market demands of the developed world including the EU. Hungarian drug industry, research institutes, universities and clinics have a good chance of doing competitive R&D work. Hungarian pharmaceutical industry is ready and capable for original R&D and cooperation. The companies concentrate their original research efforts on a few therapeutic areas where research is carried out on high professional level. Not only our large companies are engaged in original developments but small and medium sized companies too can have original, innovative findings, development results.

New drug administration forms to improve the active ingredient's therapeutic efficacy, to delay drug release are being extensively researched all over the world in order to make treatment with smaller drug quantities possible. Developing finished product formulations is a traditionally success area for Hungarian pharmaceutical industry. The strong chemical traditions are an advantage in the development of new active ingredient-based technologies.

Animal experiments constitute a determinant and indispensable part of innovative R&D. As these experiments are for the benefit of humankind their moral basis cannot be questioned. Like in other countries of the European Union very strict legislations are in effect in Hungary too, regulating the authorization, execution and control of animal experiments. Manufacturers and research companies attach great importance to enforcing animal protection principles considered an international requirement: substituting animal experiments with methods not requiring the use of animals (computer-aided modelling, use of tissue cultures, etc.), reducing the number of test animals, refining experimental methods. Another main area where animal protection aspects have to be enforced is the provision of proper keeping conditions for the test animals. Compliance is overseen by an animal experiment regulation, an ethical code and workplace animal experiment committees.