PhRMA Reports Identifies More than 400 Biotech Drugs in Development

Washington, DC (Aug. 14)-A new report issued by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA, www.phrma.org) identifies 418 drugs and vaccines developed through biotechnology (1). All of the biotechnology medicines and vaccines are now in clinical trials or awaiting approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (Rockville, MD, www.fda.org).

Monoclonal antibodies account for the largest product category with 160 drugs in development (see Table I), followed by vaccines, gene therapy products, and recombinant hormones and proteins.

Overall research and development investment by PhRMA's biotechnology and pharmaceutical research member companies was $39.4 billion in 2005, according to PhRMA's annual member survey, released earlier this year. This level represented a 6.5% increase over 2004 expenditures

Reference

1. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, 2006 Report: Medicines in Development-Biotechnology (PhRMA, Washington, DC, August 2006), http://www.phrma.org/files/Biotech%202006.pdf.

Table I: Biotechnology drugs in development by product category.*