Medicines in Development

Explore the Latest Progress on Medicines in Development

Each patient battling with a disease or managing a condition lives in the hope that tomorrow will bring a new medicine that delivers better health. America’s biopharmaceutical research companies share the same goal of developing new medicines that can prevent diseases, improve patients’ health, and save lives. Beyond each individual patient, new drugs can help society overall by reducing sick days and helping cut the cost of healthcare.

The economic impact of new medications and adherence could be significant. For example, one study found that annual costs for diabetes care could drop as much as 48 percent for patients who take their diabetes medicines properly. With 24 million people with diabetes in the U.S., and only one-quarter of them controlling the disease, the savings could add up quickly as millions of Americans improved their health.

In the last ten years, more than 300 new medicines have been approved by the FDA, helping patients live longer, healthier lives. Medications are transforming many cancers into treatable conditions, reducing the impact of cardiovascular disease, offering new options for patients with hard-to‐treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and fighting even the rarest conditions

Featured Report

Leukemia and Lymphoma

Each year nearly 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with a blood cancer—accounting for about 9 percent of all new cancer diagnoses. The major types of blood cancer include leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. According to the American Cancer Society, 149,990 new cases of these three blood cancers will be diagnosed in 2013 in the United States. And, more than 54,000 people will die. Biopharmaceutical research companies are developing 241 medicines targeting leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other cancers of the blood.

Alzheimer's

There are more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer’s today. That number that could jump to 13.5 million by 2050. For patients with Alzheimer’s and other dementia, America’s biopharmaceutical research companies have 93 medicines in clinical trials or awaiting FDA approval. This research will help to bring us closer to our goal of tackling and eventually conquering this debilitating disease.

Arthritis

America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are currently developing 198 medicines to help the more than 50 million Americans afflicted with at least one of the 100 different musculoskeletal disorders, including arthritis. All of the medicines are either in clinical trials or awaiting review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Asthma

Asthma is a narrowing of the airways to the lungs caused by inflammation in the air passages, resulting from both genetic and environmental influences. Today, more than 24 million American adults and children suffer from asthma, with the prevalence increasing 12 percent in the last decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each day, 40,000 Americans miss school or work due to asthma, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $56 billion each year in direct and indirect costs.

Biotechnology and Biologics

Millions of people already have benefited from medicines and vaccines developed through biotechnology. America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are using biological processes to develop 907 medicines and vaccines targeting more than 100 diseases—including 352 for cancer, 188 for infectious diseases, 69 for autoimmune diseases, and 39 for AIDS/HIV and related conditions. Biologics are made from a variety of natural sources—human, animal or microorganisms. Like small-molecule drugs, some biologics are intended to treat diseases and medical conditions. Other biologics are used to prevent or diagnose disease. These medicines represent the next exciting frontier of biopharmaceutical research.

Cancer

America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are testing 981 medicines and vaccines to help in the fight against cancer. More than 1.6 million new cases of cancer are expected in 2012. Researchers’ deep commitment to patients and advancing science is at the core of the remarkable progress made in fighting cancer. Since 1980, life expectancy for cancer patients has increased by about three years, and 83 percent of those gains are attributable to new treatments.

Children

America’s biopharmaceutical companies are researching 316 medicines to help meet the unique health care needs of children and adolescents. Considerable progress in the fight against diseases that impact children has been achieved in recent decades, with medicines playing a key role

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lower respiratory disease that encompasses two main conditions–chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The condition is characterized by obstructed airflow to the lungs that interferes with normal breathing. For the more than 13 million American adults that suffer from COPD, hope lies ahead as biopharmaceutical companies are working on 54 medicines to treat the disease.

Diabetes

Diabetes affects nearly 26 million Americans—8.3 percent of the U.S. population—and about one-quarter are unaware they have the disease. A diagnosis and appropriate medication can help patients avoid serious complications and death, and can reduce overall healthcare spending. There are currently 221 medicines in the pipeline to treat diabetes and related conditions, either in clinical trials or awaiting approval from the FDA. These medicines represent an exciting new chapter in the ongoing quest to better treat this debilitating disease.

Heart Disease and Stroke

The momentum of drug discovery helped cut deaths from heart disease and stroke by 31 percent between 1998 and 2008. Maintaining that momentum, biopharmaceutical companies have developed 299 medicines for these diseases that are in clinical trials or awaiting approval by the FDA.

HIV/AIDS

Since the approval of anti‐retroviral treatments (ART) in 1995, the AIDS death rate has dropped by more than 80 percent. Testing for the disease also has advanced dramatically, enabling earlier treatment. Instead of being a death sentence, HIV is now often a manageable chronic disease. Biopharmaceutical research companies are developing 73 medicines and vaccines, focusing on improved treatment regimens, more effective therapies and promising new preventative solutions.

Leukemia and Lymphoma

Mental Illness

Pharmaceutical research is targeting mental illnesses with nearly 200 medicines in clinical trials or awaiting approval by the Food and Drug Administration. These medications are targeted at helping the more than 300 million people worldwide who suffer from some form of mental illness—from anxiety to depression and from schizophrenia to addictive disorders, such as dependence on alcohol or drugs.

Older Americans

With the population of Americans over 65 on the rise and life expectancy climbing, chronic diseases remain a principal threat to the health and productivity of older Americans, as well as to rising health care costs. Innovative medicines have led to major advances against many chronic diseases – and the robust discovery pipeline of new medicines portends continued progress for seniors and our health care system. America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are developing 465 new medicines that target the 10 leading chronic conditions affecting seniors.

New Drug Approvals

In fiscal year 2012 (October 1, 2011 – September 30, 2012), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved 35 new medicines. Among the drugs approved were 10 drugs to treat cancer, including the first treatments for advanced basal cell carcinoma and myelofibrosis and a targeted therapy for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

New Drug Approvals in 2011 (PDF) [64]

Parkinson's Disease

America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are currently developing 36 medicines to help the nearly 1 million Americans suffering from Parkinson’s disease, a motor system disorder resulting from the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. All of the medicines are either in clinical trials or awaiting review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Rare Diseases

The National Institutes of Health estimates that there are approximately 6,000 rare diseases affecting 25 million Americans. A rare disease is defined as a condition 25 million Americans. In the past, treatment options for such conditions have been nonexistent or limited, but since the passage of the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, more than 400 medicines have been approved to treat rare diseases. These include the first treatments for Crohn’s disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease (also called ALS) and five treatments for pulmonary hypertension.

Skin Diseases

America’s biopharmaceutical research companies currently are developing 277 medicines to help the more than 100 million Americans, one third of the U.S. population, that suffer from at least one skin disease. Skin diseases, ranging from acne to psoriasis and from melanoma to infections, are more common than most people know and they come with not only a medical but also a financial burden.

Vaccines

America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are working on 295 vaccines for the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of diseases. For many years, vaccines have been used to successfully prevent diseases such as smallpox, measles, polio and other infectious diseases. But vaccines are not only for preventing infectious diseases, newer vaccines are proving protections against a wide array of other diseases, including cancer prevention

Women

Pharmaceutical researchers are developing more than 800 medicines for diseases that disproportionately affect women.