PhRMA study reveals 313 mental illness drugs now in R&D
PharmaTimes – July 19, 2010
Summary: According to a recent article by Lynne Taylor, a new study by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) reveals that 313 new medicines to treat mental health disorders are now either in clinical trial or awaiting FDA review. These new products include medicines for depression, addictive disorders, dementias (including Alzheimer’s disease), schizophrenia and others. The study points out that mental disorders account for over 15% of the burden of disease in “established market economies, which is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers.” Ken Johnson, senior vice president of PhRMA, says that a high priority is tackling dementia, and researchers are using “cutting-edge technology to develop therapies to delay or even reverse the ravages of dementia.” According to an estimate by the U.S. Alzheimer’s Association, the health care system could save $170 billion by 2030 if a new treatment that delayed the onset of dementia by 5 years was available in 2015. Mr. Johnson adds that “success by even one of the 90 drugs being researched for dementia would reduce an untold amount of suffering by patients and their families – such treatments can also save the health care system billions of dollars, especially as baby boomers age.”