Pharmaceutical Sciences and Innovations in Pharma Industry

R&D Advancement: Road to New Medicines

Innovation—it is what everyone likes to talk about, but what does it really mean for millions of patients battling disease? Simply put, medical innovation can help patients live longer, healthier and more productive lives.

As one of the most research-intensive and science-driven industries in the U.S., the biopharmaceutical industry is committed to the research and development (R&D) of new treatments and cures for patients, including those who have serious unmet medical needs.  With more than 7,000 innovative drugs in development worldwide by biopharmaceutical companies and over $500 billion invested in R&D since 2000, hope is certainly on the horizon.

Patients are not the only ones who benefit from new drug development.  When new medicines keep patients healthier, the economy gets a boost from a healthier workforce, the cost of healthcare can go down and access improves.  Perhaps above all else, medical advances give patients one essential ingredient for survival: hope.

The biopharmaceutical sector is the most research-intensive industry in the country, investing more than 10 times the amount of R&D per employee than manufacturing industries on average. With our rapidly increasing understanding of disease at the molecular level, science holds more promise for progress against many diseases today than at any time in history. The biopharmaceutical pipeline is demonstrating that promise.

The worldwide market for research and advancement is relied upon to develop from almost $86.5 billion in 2015 to $124.3 billion in 2020 at a yearly development rate of 7.5% from 2015-2020.