Record number of drugs in development to treat women's diseases, PhRMA study reveals

The USA's research-based drug and biotechnology companies are working on nearly 1,000 life-changing medicines for diseases affecting women, according to a new report released by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). The medicines are awaiting approval by the US Food and Drug Administration or are in human clinical trials.

In the USA, diseases that disproportionately affect women include diabetes, which has reached epidemic proportions and affects 11 million women nationwide. Autoimmune conditions strike women three times more than men, and anxiety and depression twice that of men. The number one killer of American women is heart disease.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in American women. To help raise awareness about this disease, Medicines in Development Women 2009 is being released during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The report lists 969 new medicines in development. They include 112 new treatments for breast cancer, 86 for obstetric/gynecologic conditions, 76 for asthma, 114 for autoimmune diseases, 155 for diabetes, 131 for arthritis and 80 for Alzheimer's disease.

One medicine in the report is a potential cutting-edge treatment that attacks the cause of Alzheimer's disease rather than merely treating its symptoms. Currently, treatment options for Alzheimer's disease are limited. This groundbreaking medicine holds the potential to slow the progression of the disease and could vastly improve quality of life for Alzheimer's patients. Women account for 70% of Alzheimer's deaths.

"America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies continue making exciting progress in the search for new cures and treatments for diseases of special concern to women," said PhRMA senior vice president Ken Johnson in his remarks at the press briefing at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, New York. "We live in an era of medical discovery in which we understand more and more about the unique biological and behavioral differences between men and women and their respective health care needs. This knowledge is inspiring a continuing medical revolution that is bringing new hope to women around the world in the form of promising new treatments and cures," he added.

Importance of access

However, Mr Johnson warned, "while scientists are making exciting progress in the search for new cures and treatments, these efforts are wasted if the medicines we develop aren't accessible to patients who need them."

Help is available to patients in need through the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA), a program sponsored by America's pharmaceutical research companies. To date, the PPA has helped nearly six million patients nationwide. Since its launch in April 2005, the PPA bus tour has visited all 50 states and more than 3,000 cities to educate people about patient assistance programs. The "Help is Here Express" is staffed by trained specialists able to quickly help uninsured and financially struggling patients access information on more than 475 patient assistance programs, including nearly 200 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies, PhRMA explained.