Hundreds of New Medicines Now in Development for Diseases That Affect Hispanic Americans

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ — America’s pharmaceutical research companies are currently developing 581 medicines to treat diseases that disproportionately affect Hispanic Americans, according to a new report released today by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

“America’s pharmaceutical research companies are actively working to find treatments and cures for the more than 42.7 million Hispanic Americans, the largest minority group in the United States,” said PhRMA President & CEO Billy Tauzin. “Studies show Hispanic Americans have an increased risk for certain conditions and often lack access to healthcare. PhRMA member companies are helping to solve these problems through the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) and through pharmaceutical research on diseases that disproportionately affect Hispanic Americans.”

According to the new PhRMA report, the medicines in development for diseases that affect Hispanic Americans include 125 for respiratory disorders and 24 for stroke. The report notes Hispanic Americans are disproportionately likely to be afflicted by the ravages of the AIDS epidemic; they account for nearly 20 percent of new AIDS cases. Research-based pharmaceutical companies are currently developing 73 medicines for HIV Infection and AIDS. Sixty-six medicines are also in development for type 2 diabetes; Hispanic Americans are more than twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as non-Hispanic whites, according to the report. One hundred and seventy-eight medicines are in development to treat cancer, the second leading cause of death among Hispanic Americans.

Other medicines in development target hypertension, liver disorders, lupus, obesity, hyperlipidemia and other conditions that disproportionately affect Hispanic Americans. Pharmaceutical research in pharmacogenetics — the study of genetically determined variants in drug response — has revealed much in the past 20 years about the differences in how racial and ethnic groups metabolize and respond to medications. This research is leading to modern medicines that can ensure a better quality of life for Hispanic Americans.

To view the new medicines in development report for diseases that disproportionately affect Hispanic Americans, please go to: http://www.phrma.org/.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $39.4 billion in 2005 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry- wide research and investment reached a record $51.3 billion in 2005.

PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org/

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org/

For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org/

For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info/

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

CONTACT: Jeff Trewhitt of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers ofAmerica, +1-202-835-3460

Web site: http://www.phrma.org/http://www.innovation.org/http://www.pparx.org/http://www.buysafedrugs.info/