Medicines in Development - Biotechnology

America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are using biotechnology to develop 901 medicines and vaccines targeting more than 100 diseases. Biotechnology medicines are developed through biological processes using living cells or organisms, rather than the traditional chemical synthesis approach. These medicines in development are either in human clinical trials or under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 

Biotechnology medicines use many different cutting-edge approaches to treat disease. A monoclonal antibody is a laboratory-made version of the naturally occurring immune system protein that binds to and neutralizes foreign invaders. Interferons are proteins that interfere with the ability of a cell to reproduce. Antisense drugs are medicines that interfere with the communication process that tells a cell to produce an unwanted protein. Nano- technology is now being used in biotechnology as drug-delivery systems, new treatments, and diagnostics.

 

The biotechnology medicines now in development make use of these and other state-of- the-art approaches. For example:

 

These are only a few examples of the new ways America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are attacking disease through biotechnology. The 901 biotechnology medicines and vaccines in development promise to push the frontiers of science and potentially bring more and better treatments to patients.

 

The biopharmaceutical research industry has an important impact on the economy of the United States and is also an important source of jobs, research spending and tax revenue.  A study by Archstone LLC found that the industry supported 3.1 million jobs across the U.S. economy in 2008 and was responsible for providing $114.6 billion to the national GDP. 

 

The full report can be found here.