PhRMA and Lupus Foundation of America Report More Than 300 Medicines in Development for Autoimmune Diseases

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report released by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Lupus Foundation of America highlights tremendous progress in the fight against autoimmune diseases. According to the report, America's biopharmaceutical research companies have 311 medicines and vaccines in clinical trials or pending review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for patients with autoimmune diseases.

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There remains a lot to be learned about autoimmune diseases and their cause, but biopharmaceutical companies are leading efforts to demystify these diseases. Today, more than 80 autoimmune diseases have been identified, including psoriasis, lupus and celiac disease. And new scientific advances continue to reveal details that are spurring the development of innovative approaches to treating these diseases, such as how environmental elements can trigger the immune system to attack normal cells.

"The question of why the immune system in some people attacks healthy cells remains top of mind for biopharmaceutical researchers striving to discover new treatments and cures for the 23.5 million Americans affected by an autoimmune disease," said Stephen J. Ubl, president and chief executive officer of PhRMA. "While there are a number of challenges in diagnosing and treating these diseases, the significant progress that has been made in the last decade provides hope for the future."

Examples of the medicines and vaccines currently in development include:

• 76 for autoimmune types of arthritis, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis;
• 58 for inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis;
• 39 for lupus
• 34 for type 1 diabetes
• 32 for multiple sclerosis

One autoimmune disease, lupus, affects approximately 1.5 million Americans, and it is estimated that more than 16,000 new cases of lupus are reported each year. But a new monoclonal antibody medicine in development to treat lupus is providing patients with new hope.

View "Medicines in Development for Autoimmune Diseases" here.

About PhRMA
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading innovative biopharmaceutical research companies, which are devoted to discovering and developing medicines that enable patients to live longer, healthier and more productive lives. Since 2000, PhRMA member companies have invested more than half a trillion dollars in the search for new treatments and cures, including an estimated $58.8 billion in 2015 alone.

Connect with PhRMA
For information on how innovative medicines save lives, please visit:
www.PhRMA.org
www.FromHopetoCures.org
www.Facebook.com/PhRMA
www.Twitter.com/PhRMA

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

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http://www.PhRMA.org

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