Biopharmaceutical Industry Committed to Discovery and Development of New Therapies for Patients Despite Challenges
Pharma: 07.25.14
Mental health conditions affect 1 in 4 Americans and take a heavy economic toll on the United States. Efforts to find effective treatments for conditions such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and substance abuse disorders continue despite difficult hurdles and setbacks. Researchers face a number of challenges in finding new treatments for mental illnesses — including a limited understanding of how current treatments work in the brain; a lack of biomarkers that help clinicians diagnose accurately, measure disease progression and assess treatment response; and the complexity of mental disorders themselves. These challenges are compounded by the stigma unfortunately associated with mental illness that may discourage people from seeking medical treatment and adhering to their medicines.
Despite these challenges, the biopharmaceutical industry is committed to the discovery and development of new treatments, as evidenced by the 119 medicines in development for mental and addictive disorders. Working in collaboration with academia, government researchers, policymakers, and patient organizations, biopharmaceutical companies seek to apply new scientific approaches and contribute to the evolving knowledge of mental illness to bring new solutions to individuals who face mental disorders. Read More
