PhRMA touts pediatric pipeline as it recruits lawmakers on legislation

Lest anyone forget that biopharma companies are in the business of finding new treatments to help people, the industry group PhRMA regularly assesses the number of pipeline drugs in development by category. Now they've sized up the nearly 300 pediatric drugs which are in development specifically to help children and adolescents combat some terrible diseases.

The breakdown looks like this:

  • 54 are for cancer
  • 49 are for infectious diseases
  • 48 are for genetic disorders (includes cystic fibrosis)
  • 25 are for neurologic disorders (such as epilepsy)

PhRMA, of course, is also in the business of lobbying Congress on behalf of the industry. And this year their plan includes a big focus on the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA) and the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA), which both expire in October.

"Reauthorization of these pivotal programs is essential to continued progress in children's health," says PhRMA CEO John Castellani. "Permanent reauthorization would provide much-needed predictability and certainty, to the benefit of regulators, innovative companies and, ultimately, children."

- here's the press release from PhRMA
- get the report (.pdf)