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Medicines in Development for Mental Illnesses
America’s pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are currently developing 313 medicines to help the nearly 60 million American adults today suffering from some form of mental illness— from Alzheimer’s disease to depression and from schizophrenia to addictive disorders, such as dependence on alcohol or drugs. All of the medicines are either in clinical trials or awaiting review by the Food and Drug Administration.
Over the past half century, pharmaceutical research has helped transform mental illnesses from misunderstood causes of shame and fear into often highly treatable conditions. For example, medicines for treating depression are helping thousands of people suffering from this disease live productive lives. Breakthrough schizophrenia medicines enable most patients to be treated in the community rather than institutional settings, and medicines for Alzheimer’s disease are helping elderly people maintain their independence longer.
Despite such progress, mental illnesses continue to exact a heavy human and economic toll. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 1 in 4 American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. According to the World Health Organization, more than 300 million people worldwide suffer from a mental health disorder. Mental illness, including suicide, accounts for more than 15 percent of the burden of disease in established market economies, which is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers. According to a study funded by the NIMH, serious mental illnesses cost the United States more than $317 billion annually in lost wages, health care expenditures and disability benefits.
New medicines today in the research and development pipeline offer hope of reducing the human and economic costs of mental illnesses. They include: 71 for depression (mood disorders), which affects nearly 21 million Americans; 33 for addictive disorders, including dependence on alcohol, tobacco or illicit drugs; 38 medicines for anxiety disorders, which affect more than 40 million adults ages 18 and older; 90 for dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, which affects more than 5 million Americans; and 54 for schizophrenia, which strikes some 2.4 million American adults each year. Other potential medicines target attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, eating disorders, personality disorders, premenstrual disorders and sleep disorders.
Examples of some medicines now being tested to treat mental illnesses include:
- A medicine to potentially treat the varied symptoms associated with schizophrenia, with diminished side effects common with current treatments.
- A medicine designed to remove beta amyloid protein from the brain and prevent or reverse progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researching and developing new medicines remains a risky investment and lengthy process—costing, on average, $1.3 billion and taking between 10 and 15 years to bring a new medicine to patients. But advances in our understanding of mental illnesses and how to treat them have allowed America’s pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies to conduct the cutting-edge research needed to reduce the destructive toll of these disorders and to allow more patients to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives.
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