< Food & Agriculture  pg.8

Health pg.2 >

Biotechnology companies around the world are accelerating the pace of drug discovery and development. They are lighting the way both toward personalized medicine, which tailors therapy to individual needs, and better global health, through vaccines and medicines to meet challenges such as flu, HIV/AIDS and bioterrorist threats.

Already, the biotechnology industry has brought more than 250 drugs and vaccines to patients, helping at least 800 million people worldwide. These products are driving real clinical progress, in diseases such as cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, heart failure and multiple sclerosis.

Even cancer is slowly loosening its deadly grip, thanks to biotechnology. In 2005, the American Cancer Society reported a year-over-year decline in U.S. cancer deaths. National Cancer Institute Director and Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach believes the technology has reached “an inflection point” and better medicine actually could eliminate death and suffering from cancer by 2015.

Biotechnology will be “critically important” to achieving that vision, von Eschenbach told attendees of the May 2005 Bio VentureForum East conference in Atlanta. “You have the opportunity to create the reality of interventions based on an emerging understanding of biology,” he said.

Indeed, our understanding of the biology behind disease is growing every day, not only in cancer, but in aging, heart disease, autoimmune disorders and genetic diseases. However, transforming fundamental science into usable diagnostics, medicines and vaccines is a difficult journey, taking upwards of a decade and hundreds of millions of dollars in investment.

BIO works to foster a climate of innovation that minimizes the often-formidable barriers between an exciting discovery in the lab and a patient filling a prescription. BIO’s experts bring a wealth of experience in science, regulatory affairs, reimbursement and legislation to bear on the challenges of developing biotechnology products and ensuring patient access.

To guide overall policy development, last year BIO created a new Health Section Governing Body to serve as the focal point of policy debate on issues affecting biotechnology product development and reimbursement. The governing body consists of BIO member executives from biotechnology companies at every stage of product development, from startups to established powerhouses. Working with BIO’s advocacy team, they will set an agenda to ensure the biotechnology revolution in medicine moves forward in 200 —and beyond.

Next >