Edition 2015
09.06.15
Already, the industry has contributed to significant improvements in patient well-being. Today’s European citizens can expect to live up to 30 years longer than they did a century ago. Some major steps in biopharmaceutical research, complimented by many smaller steps, have allowed for reductions in mortality, for instance from HIV/AIDS-related causes and a number of cancers.
High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease can be controlled with antihypertensive and cholesterol-lowering medicines; knee or hip replacements prevent patients from immobility; and some cancers can be controlled – or even cured – with the help of new targeted treatments. European citizens can expect not only to live longer, but to live better quality lives. Yet major hurdles remain, including Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, many cancers, and orphan diseases.