New Medicines are Transforming the Fight Against Disease

jtripp@phrma.org — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:26:26 +0000

February 2010

Health Care Reform - Saving Money is Important, But so is Saving Lives

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:46:54 +0000

September 2009

Health Care Reform: Saving Money
Is Important, But So Is Saving Lives

By Billy Tauzin

With the health care reform debate intensifying across America, we have taken every opportunity to remind lawmakers and the public that continued medical progress is critically important to patients, the economy and the future of America. Health reform should focus on both on meeting patients’ needs today, as well as promoting the innovation and research to provide even better treatments and cures in the future. Yes, saving money is important, but so is saving lives.

Today, millions of Americans suffer from largely preventable chronic disease – such as diabetes and heart disease. Chronic disease is a leading cause of death and a key health care cost driver in our country. The Milken Institute has estimated that lost workdays and lower employee productivity due to chronic disease resulted in an annual economic loss in the U.S. of more than $1 trillion in 2003. If we are going to bend the curve on rising health care spending, then we have to seriously address the chronic disease epidemic.

Fortunately, we’ve made significant strides in recent years. Medical advances over the past several decades have revolutionized how we battle disease. Thanks in part to new medicines, death rates for cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS have been sharply reduced in the U.S.

This progress is real. It has improved the lives of millions of American patients, and it has helped save money by reducing the need for avoidable hospitalizations and ER visits.

Health care reform – if done right – can help leverage and extend this progress in several ways. Expanding health insurance coverage to all Americans will mean better access to care, particularly for those struggling with chronic conditions. Reform will assure that those most in need of care are not denied coverage or priced out of the market because of pre-existing conditions. Better coverage will help promote improved adherence to prescribed treatment, improving health, preventing complications and saving money.

Health reform also must foster continued U.S. leadership in medical innovation. The biopharmaceutical sector is one of the most R&D-intensive sectors in the country. In the last five years, our companies have invested nearly $284 billion on research and development of new medicines. And as of 2007, America’s biotechnology firms accounted for 82% of global biotech R&D.

This sustained investment comes at a time when the drug development process is increasingly expensive, time-consuming and risky. It currently takes an average of 10 to 15 years and $1.3 billion to develop just one new medicine.

America’s pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies employed more than 686,000 Americans in 2006, and supported more than 3.2 million jobs nationally.

But, like other industries, many biopharmaceutical companies are being forced to make tough decisions to survive in these difficult economic times – and countries in Europe and Asia are actively trying to lure away innovative American businesses.

For all of these reasons, it’s essential that health reform preserve incentives for future investment in medical research.

For example, it’s imperative that we have in place robust incentives for the development of biologics – medicines made from living matter which offer great hope for future cures. Recently, bipartisan members of Congress joined together to support such incentives – a positive step towards providing researchers and investors a measure of certainty in the very uncertain world of biologics development.

Similarly, Congress must ensure that health reform does not mean government price controls, which would restrict patient access to vital health care products and services and sacrifice jobs in this fragile economy.

Earlier this year, President Obama called for a cure of cancer in our lifetime. America’s biopharmaceutical research companies are committed to this ambitious goal, but it can not happen unless health reform is done right.

We urge Congress to pass a bipartisan reform package that guarantees every American has access to high-quality, affordable health care coverage and services – and preserves the necessary policies and incentives to help make President Obama’s dream a reality and propels American medical innovation to even greater heights.

PhRMA President & CEO

Click here to read Billy's Bio

Read other Straight Talk from Billy Tauzin Articles

8.3.09 A Biosimilar Pathway that Puts Patients at the Top of the Agenda
3.11.09 Curing Cancer in our Lifetime
2.07.09 Health Reform: Now is the Time
1.05.09 Creating A Health Care Agenda that Works for America
12.01.08 Helping Seniors to Live Healthier, Longer Lives
11.01.08 The Next 50 Years of Medical Innovation Has Already Started
10.01.08 Disease is Non-Partisan
3.29.08 State of the Industry Address

A Biosimilar Pathway that Puts Patients at the Top of the Agenda

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:56:58 +0000

New Medicines are Transforming the Fight Against Disease

Health Care Reform - Saving Money is Important, But so is Saving Lives

A Biosimilar Pathway that Puts Patients at the Top of the Agenda

Curing Cancer in our Lifetime

Health Reform Now is the Time

Creating a Health Care Agenda that Works for America

Helping Seniors to Longer, Healthier Lives

The Next 50 Years of Medical Innovatin Has Already Started

Disease is Non-Partisan

State of the Industry Address