Outlook
Europe faces serious challenges in sustaining its healthcare systems to deliver high quality services to the elderly. Initiatives
are being launched at a European level and have received high profile backing from the EC, the EMA and key geriatricians.
Such an approach has led to improvements in addressing the gaps seen in paediatric medicine and is seen as a potential model
for making improvements with respect to the elderly. Sadly, the ongoing economic difficulties in Europe may hinder investment
in additional healthcare services for the elderly as politicians look to implement cutbacks. However, the elderly also represent
a growing proportion of the voting population and will therefore not accept their long-term healthcare needs being ignored.
For the pharmaceutical industry the demographic trends present opportunities to launch new therapies in these disease areas.
References
1. EC, "Elderly" (2011). http://ec.europa.eu/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
2. D.M. Qato et al., J. Gerontol. B. Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 64 Suppl. 1, i86–93 (2009).
3. P.A. Rochon et al., "Drug prescribing for older adults," UpToDate (2011).
http://www.uptodate.com/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
4. EC, "European Innovation Partnership agrees on actions to turn ageing into an opportunity," Press Release (2011). http://ec.europa.eu/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
5. BBC News, "Eurozone's growth has stalled, says EU," (2011).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
6. PREDICT, "Increasing the participation of the elderly in clinical trials," (2011).
http://www.predicteu.org/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
7. A. Cherubini, Arch Intern Med.
171(6), 550–556 (2011).
8. EMA, "EMA workshop on medicines for older people," (2011).
http://www.ema.europa.eu/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
9. Decision Resources, "The Alzheimer's disease drug market will nearly triple over the next ten years," (2011). http://decisionresources.com/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
10. A. Palmer, "It's not Nice… but the alternative is worse." (Daily Telegraph, 2007).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
11. Inpharm, "Pfizer has signed a five-year research pact with US healthcare insurer Humana," (2011).
http://www.inpharm.com/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
12. G. Forrer, "Treating chronic disease could help forestall onset of Alzheimer's disease," (PhRMA, 2011).
http://www.phrma.org/, accessed Nov. 11, 2011.
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