David Ridley

David Ridley is a Professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business with additional appointments in the Department of Economics and Sanford School of Public Policy. He serves as Faculty Director of the Center for Health Sector Management (HSM) and is an Executive Core Faculty Member at the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy. His work bridges business, economics, and public policy with a focus on healthcare innovation and policy.

Ridley earned his Ph.D. from Duke University in 2001. His academic journey has been focused on applying economic principles to solve complex healthcare challenges, particularly in pharmaceutical markets and global health.

Ridley's research centers on health economics, with special emphasis on incentives for innovation and pharmaceutical pricing. He is best known for developing the priority review voucher system, which creates market-based incentives for developing treatments for neglected diseases. His work examines how regulatory frameworks, pricing mechanisms, and market structures influence healthcare innovation and access. Through his research, Ridley has demonstrated how economic tools can be applied to improve health outcomes globally, particularly for underserved populations.

Analysis of Ridley's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on pharmaceutical policy, with particular attention to incentive mechanisms like priority review vouchers. His work spans both theoretical economic analysis and practical policy applications, often examining how regulatory decisions impact drug development, pricing, and access. A significant portion of his research addresses neglected tropical diseases and the economic barriers to developing treatments for these conditions.

Ridley has led significant research initiatives including the development of the FDA priority review voucher program (2007) and the EPA vector expedited review voucher program (2022). These policy innovations have created market-based incentives for developing treatments for neglected diseases, with the FDA having awarded more than 80 vouchers valued at approximately $100 million each.

As Faculty Director of the Center for Health Sector Management, Ridley oversees a program that comprises about 20 percent of Duke MBA graduates each year. His grant portfolio includes significant funding for research on neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and biodefense. Current projects include "The Commercial Value of Pull Mechanisms for Drug Development in Neglected Tropical Diseases" (2024-2025) and "The Next Phase of Antimicrobial Resistance Payment Policy" (2022-2023).

Ridley leads and participates in several research teams focused on healthcare innovation and policy. His work with the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy connects academic research with practical policy applications. Through the Center for Health Sector Management, he fosters collaboration between business students and healthcare professionals to address pressing challenges in the health sector.