750 anti-cancer drugs are being tested in the US
The Association of Developers and Manufacturers of Pharmaceutical Products of America (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America) reported that 750 new drugs intended for the treatment of cancer are currently being tested in the United States.
In total, 113 new medicines are intended for the treatment of lung cancer (the most deadly form of cancer in the United States), 90 – breast cancer, 88 – prostate cancer, 65 – colorectal cancer. The Association reported that some drugs use fundamentally new mechanisms of action on the body: for example, one of them is able to destroy specific cancer cells, and then activates the human immune system, which independently neutralizes the remaining foci of cancer.
According to the estimates of the National Cancer Institute, in 2008, more than 1.4 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and more than 560 thousand deaths caused by this disease will be registered (in terms of mortality, cancer in the United States is second only to cardiovascular diseases). Now there are more than 10.1 million Americans living in the country who have ever been diagnosed with such a diagnosis before. Currently, 66% of cancer patients in the United States survive five years after the first diagnosis of such a diagnosis. In the 1970s, the five-year survival rate was significantly lower – it did not reach 50%.
The chances of a man getting cancer are now estimated as one in two, women – as one in three. The National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health) claim that in 2007 alone, cancer caused $219.2 billion in damage to the U.S. economy. Including $89 billion – this is direct damage (costs of treatment and rehabilitation of the patient), $18.2 billion – losses caused by a decrease in the productivity of surviving patients and $ 112 billion – damage caused by the death of patients.
Last year, a record amount of $58.8 billion was invested in the development of new drugs and vaccines by US pharmaceutical companies, which is three billion more than in 2006.
In general, in 2007, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the United States invested 18% of their revenue in scientific research. One of the results of this was the appearance of a record number of drugs that are currently under development or testing – there are more than 2.7 thousand of them. In 2003, there were about two thousand such drugs
According to the estimates of the Congressional Budget Office, based on sales volumes, pharmaceutical companies in the country invest five times more money in scientific research than the average American company.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru
23.04.2008