Nearly 900 new drugs in R&D for diseases affecting women
A new industry report published by U.S. drugmakers states that almost 900 medicines are in development for diseases specifically affecting women, according to Pharma Times.
The drugs are either in clinical trials or awaiting FDA approval or review and include the following: 139 potential treatments for cancers affecting women including 91 for breast cancer and 49 for ovarian cancer and nine for cervical cancer, says the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) report.
Additionally, 114 potential new treatments for arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders are in development, noting that 60% of U.S. arthritis patients are female; there are 83 new treatments are in R&D for Alzheimer's disease and 72 for depression and anxiety, which affect almost twice as many women than men.
Diseases that affect more women such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis have 110 treatments in R&D, and 64 are being developed for obstetric and gynecological conditions. Researchers are also working on 299 medications for cardiac conditions, which cause death in nearly 500,000 women in the U.S. every year, and 98 medicines for lung cancer, the leading cancer-killer of women.
"As recently as a couple of decades ago, there was a basic assumption that what was good medically for men was good for women in almost every case," said PhRMA chief executive John Castellani. "Today, our increasing knowledge of the less-obvious differences between man and women is providing great promise for new and better treatments that will benefit both sexes," he added.