Breakthroughs Could Mean Healthy Future (NAPSA)—New types of medi- Ti as cines are helping doctors treat conditions ranging from blindness to cancer. In fact, in 2006 alone, the FDA approved 29 new medicines developed by American pharmaceutical and bio-research Five new medicines were ap- proved for the treatmentof cancer, including a first-of-its-kind treat- ment for certain colorectal cancers. Medicines for a rare group of bone marrow diseases, leukemia and lymphoma were approved as well. Diabetes And Blindness As an increasing number of Americans are being diagnosed with diabetes, the FDA approved a new treatmentfor the condition. Additionally, a new medicine will be used to treat blindness in 2007. New Vaccines Four new vaccines were approved, including one for the prevention of influenza, one for the prevention of cervical cancer, one for a virus that attacks infants and children and one that prevents the reactivation of a com- monchildhoodvirus. A Healthy Future According to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), companies have more than 2,000 new drugs in their development pipelines. We Here’s a look at some breakthrough treatments on the horizon. Cancer Treatments os mG ES 2 TK companies. @ Five new medicines were approved for the treatment of cancer last year alone. While these new drugs represent potentially lifesaving news for thousands, the cost of future breakthroughs remainshigh. A report from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development found that the average research and development cost of an approved medicine is $802 million. This represents a 250 percent cost increase from a decade ago. Fortunately, groups are work- ing to prevent these added costs from being passed on to consumers. For instance, the Part- nership for Prescription Assis- tance (PPA) plan helps patients without access to prescription drug coverage get the medicines they need. Additionally, Medicare Part D could help millions of Americans access prescription drug benefits. For more information, visit www.phrma.org.
