More than 400 Biotechnology Medicines in Testing
Here's an interesting article I came across recently about biotechnology and medicine.
Alisa
More than 400 Biotechnology Medicines in Testing
PharmaLive
8/14/06
A new report from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA) found 418 medicines and vaccines – developed through biotechnology – now being tested to treat more than 100 diseases. All of the biotechnology medicines and vaccines are now in clinical trails or awaiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The biotechnology medicines include 210 medicines to treat cancer, 50 to treat infectious disease, 44 to treat autoimmune disorders, 22 to treat HIV Infection and related-conditions and 22 to treat cardiovascular diseases.
“The biotechnology revolution is giving patients and doctors new hope and new tools to fight disease,” said Billy Tauzin, PhRMA president and CEO. “With mapping of the human genome completed, scientists are now researching the role some discovered genes play in disease and new medicines to treat those diseases. The biotech medicines now in the pipeline are fundamentally changing the way we fight disease.”
The report released finds that the biotechnology medicines in development include:
- Monoclonal antibodies that target asthma, lupus and various types of cancer.
- Therapeutic vaccines that are designed to jump-start the immune system to fight diseases such as AIDS and cancer.
- Antisense products as potential treatments for cancer and heart disease.
- Gene therapy testing in cancer and heart disease.
The report can be found on the PharmaLive website.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $39.4 billion in 2005 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $51.3 billion in 2005.
