FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 1997
Contact: Heather Kolasch, (202) 835-3466
MEDICINES ARE HELPING AMERICANS LIVE LONGER, BETTER LIVES; 178 MORE DRUGS FOR DISEASES OF AGING ARE IN DEVELOPMENT
Washington, D.C. -- Life is not only getting longer -- it's getting better, thanks in large part to medicines that are helping older Americans lead active lives and maintain their independence. And 91 pharmaceutical companies are currently working on 178 medicines to treat such threats to an independent lifestyle for seniors as Alzheimer's disease, arthritis and Parkinson's disease, according to a new survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). These 178 potential medicines are in addition to the more than 400 drugs in testing for heart disease, cancer and stroke -- the three leading killers of older Americans.
"Life expectancy has increased more in this century than in the 5,000 years between the Bronze Age and the year 1900," said PhRMA President Alan F. Holmer. "Pharmaceutical research, by curbing the infectious diseases that took young lives, actually made old age possible. In 1900, the average age at death was 47, so few people needed to worry about old age. Now that people are living 30 years longer or more, pharmaceutical research is focusing on helping the elderly stay healthy and active."
Here are a few of the ways in which pharmaceutical advances are already making life better for older Americans:
-- Disability rates for people 65 and older dropped by 15 percent between 1982 and 1994, according to a Duke University study. Medical advances, including blood pressure medicines, estrogen therapy and ulcer medications, were a key factor.
-- A clot-buster drug, developed to save the lives of heart attack victims, has been shown to minimize the brain damage from stroke. Patients given this drug are 30 percent more likely to have minimal or no disability three months after the stroke.
-- Estrogen replacement therapy is keeping many older women out of nursing homes by helping to prevent osteoporosis, which can lead to crippling hip fractures. And a new, non-hormonal drug for osteoporosis can reduce spinal fractures by almost half.
-- A new drug for congestive heart failure -- the most frequent cause of hospitalization for older Americans -- cuts the risk of death by two-thirds. New medicines, including drugs that control high blood pressure and cholesterol, have helped cut the death rate from all cardiovascular diseases in half over the past thirty years, enabling 4 million people to live longer and better lives. That's equal to all the people living in Arizona.
-- Before the 1920s, there were no medicines for diabetes, which affects more than 3 million older Americans and is a leading cause of blindness. The same company that has been manufacturing insulin since the 1920s recently pioneered a genetically-engineered insulin that helps diabetics manage their condition better.
-- Depression, which causes more than 6,000 suicides among older Americans each year, used to be considered a normal part of old age. Today, drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors help the elderly lead happier, more productive lives.
-- Older people used to live in fear of getting pneumonia or influenza, which often hastened death. Today, effective vaccines protect the elderly from these diseases.
-- More than 100,000 elderly Americans are on kidney dialysis, a life-saving treatment. A biotechnology drug pioneered in the 1980s gives kidney dialysis patients back something they had lost -- the energy they need to enjoy life and function independently.
"At the beginning of this century, there were only 3.1 million Americans over 65," said Holmer. "But, thanks to new medicines, there will be 35 million older Americans as we enter the 21st century. Our industry is committed to helping all older Americans lead not only longer lives -- but healthier, happier and more productive lives. The 178 new medicines in development for diseases of aging provide proof that the pharmaceutical industry is honoring that commitment."
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to lead longer, happier, healthier and more productive lives. Investing nearly $19 billion this year in discovering and developing new medicines, PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for cures.
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PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org
For a copy of New Medicines in Development for Older Americans, please call 1-800-762-4636.
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