The Power of Medicines: Saving lives and building for the future

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over the last 25 years, medicines have helped change the way patients are treated and helped those diagnosed with debilitating diseases live longer, healthier lives.

View our new video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3B9lgK2GXs

Not long ago HIV was an acute, fatal illness.

Today, thanks in part to innovative medicines, the U.S. death rate for HIV/AIDS has fallen nearly 85 percent since its peak, and is now considered by many to be a manageable chronic disease.

Therapeutic advances have also transformed treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Previous treatments were limited to addressing the symptoms of the disease. Now, medicines target the underlying sources of inflammation, halting progression of the disease.

Today's medicines are at the forefront of science with many new treatments taking a targeted approach to attacking underlying causes of disease. Nearly 70 percent of medicines in the pipeline are potential first-in-class therapies, meaning they use a completely new approach to fighting a disease. These advances are opening doors for the development of the first new treatments for many rare diseases and other unmet medical needs.

Medicines can continue to save lives and be part of the solution to reducing medical spending, but only if we have a health care system that supports innovation and encourages the development of new treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other costly conditions.

Watch our new video and visit www.phrma.og/cost to learn more about the value medicines provide to patients and their families.

Learn more at www.phrma.org/cost

This post originally appeared here: http://catalyst.phrma.org/new-video-saving-lives-and-building-for-the-future

Contact: Holly Campbell; 202-835-3460; [email protected]

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3B9lgK2GXs

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20091027/PHRMALOGO

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)