Ken Johnson

There's no denying that times have been hard. American workers have felt the effect of job losses across the country and throughout all sectors, including healthcare. A fluctuating marketplace has raised concerns for the future of biopharmaceutical research companies, which must balance research and development (R&D) investment against the risks provided by often unpredictable regulatory, policy, and business environments.

The biopharmaceutical sector has not been immune to the economic downturn, and the challenges facing the industry aren't going away. However, the past has demonstrated not only that biopharmaceutical R&D is a growth sector, but also that the growth is often at a rate that exceeds the rest of the economy.

Also, the economic impact of this growth expanded beyond those directly employed by the sector. The same study found that each direct job within the sector in 2006 supported another 3.7 jobs, leading to greater economic growth.

Although many workers have been affected in the intervening years, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) believes that there is reason for hope in the years ahead. The Battelle report, commissioned by the Council for American Medical Innovation (CAMI), found that biomedical industry jobs grew 1.5% between 2007 and 2008, while the overall economy declined by 0.7%. The report concludes that the creation of a national medical innovation agenda will help build on the strengths of the healthcare economy and the high-quality jobs it provides, while leading to real health benefits for patients.

What's more, despite the many hurdles, biopharmaceutical sector-wide investment in R&D reached a record $65.3 billion last year. This continued commitment to research offers great hope for patients seeking new options and builds on the 34 new medicines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2009 alone.

Now, with the enactment of healthcare reform, more Americans will have access to critical coverage and other health services, including potentially life-saving therapies. Expanded access to health insurance and, with it, medicines, offers the potential to not only improve public health and patient outcomes, but also to lower overall health costs and contributes to increases in overall productivity.

According to a study by the Milken Institute, an independent think tank in California, the seven common chronic diseases (i.e, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, mental disorders, and pulmonary conditions) cost nearly $300 million and contributed to a more than $1 trillion loss in worker productivity per year.

Moreover, meeting unmet medical needs provides, in addition to the health benefits for patients, an economic effect. For example, recent research from the Alzheimer's Association has estimated that delaying the onset and progression of Alzheimer's could save Medicare and Medicaid $210 billion by 2030.

We cannot underscore the importance of patient access to medicine, and that is the number one reason why our companies commit so much of their sales—roughly 18% of domestic sales among PhRMA members since 2000—to R&D. But this investment in research is not just an investment in the future of American patients; it is an investment in the future of America's economy. It is no secret that the strength of America's economy has long rested on innovative sectors, and few are as innovative as biopharmaceuticals.