New pharmaceuticals achieved medical breakthroughs in 2006

 

With regard to innovation, the VFA draws a positive conclusion for the year now ending: In 2006, research-based pharmaceutical companies facilitated great medical progress based on novel medication. For example, girls and women can prevent cervical cancer through vaccination for the first time. Patients suffering from renal cell cancer or chronic hepatitis B can be treated much more effectively than in the past. Two new antibiotics eliminate bacteria that have already grown resistant to other drugs.

For the first time, there is an effective treatment for patients suffering from the rare hereditary disorders Pompe's disease and mucopolysaccharidosis type VI, and children benefit from vaccines against gastroenteritis and a new leukemia medication. Overall, research-based pharmaceutical companies launched 29 pharmaceuticals with new chemical entities this year, as well as 19 products based on which known chemical entities can be administered in a new - and often more effective - manner.

"With many of the new drugs, the researchers have broken completely new ground and they have provided key medical breakthroughs for serious and life-threatening diseases," said Cornelia Yzer, director-general of the German Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA). "Now it must be hoped that these innovations reach the patients." Some health insurance funds, the Federal Joint Committee and the Institute for Quality and Economy in the Health Care Sector could wish to prevent their use in favor of short-term savings objectives. "However, I am hopeful that several large health insurance funds will already reimburse for vaccinations against cervical cancer without waiting for the vote of the Standing Committee on Vaccination," Yzer said.

The pharmaceuticals with the new chemical entities address the following medical areas: cancer (6 drugs), infections (6), cardiovascular diseases (4), metabolism (4), nervous system (3), bone diseases (1), kidneys (1), respiratory system (1), eye disorders (1), obstetrics (1) and poisoning (1). "There is a clear focus on life-threatening diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and infections based on agents that are hard to fight," Yzer said.

One-third of the drugs with new chemical entities - a total of 11 - are orphan drugs, i.e. pharmaceuticals for rare diseases that affect only one out of 2,000 EU citizens. "This shows how successfully the European Regulation on Orphan Medicinal Products from the year 2000 has stimulated industrial pharmaceutical research," Yzer said. For 2007, she expects the same number of new orphan drugs.

New forms of application for known active ingredients

Therapeutic options are also expanded by 19 products based on which already known active ingredients can be used in a new fashion: For example, the first vaccine was launched that can simultaneously protect from mumps, measles, rubella and chickenpox. Previously, protection from chickenpox required additional injections. Thanks to a new processing method, a much used HIV medication no longer requires cooling, thereby making its application simpler. Insulin has now been made available in inhalable form for diabetes patients, who have an aversion to regularly injecting the hormone. "Such product evolutions improve patient compliance and therefore therapeutic success," Yzer said. "This is good for the patients but also in the interest of the health insurance funds, because then the money for pharmaceutical therapy is well invested."

For a tabular listing of all medications with new chemical entities and a graphic, please visit:

http://www.vfa.de/pm20061226

Stand: 26.12.2006