Kansas University will aid in efforts to reduce drug prices as it joins several universities and the Food and Drug Administration in forming a new consortium focused on the issue.

“The cost of pharmaceuticals is rising faster than inflation,” said Jim Roberts, KU’s vice provost for research and president of the KU Center for Research. “There are clearly opportunities to bring down that cost.”

The National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education will conduct multidisciplinary research to try to overcome the complicated drug development and manufacturing processes that drive up drug costs.

The research areas include pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, regulatory science and education. The work will involve KU’s School of Pharmacy, the Higuchi Biosciences Center, and the departments of chemistry and chemical and petroleum engineering.

Roberts said consortium can provide a “neutral body” to conduct the research. He said KU hopes to be one of the Institute’s Centers of Excellence.

Other participating universities are Duquesne, Illinois Institute of Technology, Purdue, Rutgers, the University of Connecticut, the University of Iowa, the University of Kentucky, the University of Maryland, the University of Minnesota, Universidad de Puerto Rico de Mayaguez and Universidad de Puerto Rico de San Juan.