Biotechnology: The next medical revolution

A recent article in the Scandia Journal reported that biotechnology is helping to improve our knowledge of many devastating illnesses, and has armed patients and their doctors with exciting new diagnostics and treatments to battle disease.

Biologic medicines, which unlike traditional medicines are developed from living matter, are exceedingly difficult to develop and require substantial investment. The Scandia Journal cites that biologics can take "as much as $1.2 billion to research and develop" and "take anywhere from 10 to 15 years to get FDA approval."

Importantly, biologics offer significant value to both patients and the health care system.  For example, they can delay the onset of illness and reduce disease progression, which ultimately can lead to overall cost-savings. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) President and CEO Billy Tauzin said: "Such critical innovation is creating medicines with the potential to help millions of patients live longer, healthier and more productive lives."

America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are leading the charge. The article reported that 82 percent of global biotech research and development was being driven by U.S. biopharmaceutical companies. Tauzin added that, "The biotechnology revolution is helping create medicines that use unprecedented technologies, such as nano-sized particles that seek out and target cancer cells and ways to actually regenerate healthy muscle to replace damaged heart tissue, and gene therapy."