MEDICAL INNOVATIONMarch 2009

What Are The Public Health Benefits of Medical Innovation?

Medical progress helps people lead longer, healthier lives. Advancements include:

Medical Progress Has Proven To Be Extraordinarily Valuable To The Public Health of All Americans

In the last ten years, scientists have discovered and developed more than 300 completely new medicines,

vaccines and biologics approved by FDA.

Medication therapy accounts for more than 50% of the reduction in heart attack mortality.

Medical innovation has led to a dramatic 70% decrease in HIV mortality rates since the introduction of the first antiretroviral drugs in 1995.

Prior to the development of vaccines, thousands of babies and children died or were seriously disabled each year from life-threatening infections such as polio, whooping cough and rubella.

What Impact Does Medical Progress Have On The U.S. Economy?

By not only keeping our workforce healthy and productive through significant contributions to medical innovation, but also by directly and indirectly creating jobs, America’s biopharmaceutical companies are a driving force in our nation’s strength.

The biopharmaceutical

industry has an employment

multiplier of 6.7; that is, every job in the biopharmaceutical industry generates

5.7 jobs in other industries.

In 2003, the industry was directly

responsible for $63.9 billion in real output and a total of $172.7

billion when the economic ripple

effects across other sectors are

incorporated.

Research-based pharmaceutical firms generate an average

$426,000 in value added per employee

compared to $130,000 for all manufacturing.

In 2004, biopharmaceutical

research companies employed 400,000

people and generated an additional 2.4

million jobs in other industries.

The number of new doctorates in science and engineering in

the U.S. decreased 30%

The number of U.S. bachelor’s

degrees in science and engineering

decreased by 10%

The U.S. share of scientific

researchers fell from 41% to 29%

The U.S. share of scientific

publications fell from 38% to 30%

The U.S. has historically been a leader in medical innovation.

Between 1986 and 2003, America has faced extreme challenges to

its leadership position in this industry.

We Must Reinforce Our Commitment To Medical Progress

Specifically, we support:

We Support Public Policy That Seeks To Preserve Medical Innovation

Together, we work to continue advancements in medical innovation, which have resulted in a longer and better quality of life

for all Americans.

Now Is The Time To Protect The Future Of Medical Innovation In The U.S.

America’s biopharmaceutical companies support health care reform that expands access to high-quality, affordable health insurance for all Americans, preserves patient and provider choices, fights chronic disease and advances

medical innovation for the benefit of our nation’s health and economy.

DISCUSSION