Biopharmaceutical researchers to discuss the value of R&D with Congress

Today, researchers from PhRMA member companies will meet virtually with members of Congress and Capitol Hill staff to discuss the importance of biopharmaceutical innovation in bringing new treatments and cures to patients.

The biopharmaceutical sector is among the most research-intensive of all sectors in the U.S. economy, supporting a broad range of STEM jobs through R&D and manufacturing. Biopharmaceutical researchers leverage the latest in scientific, medical and technical expertise to research and develop new ways to treat complex diseases, address significant unmet medical needs and ensure that Americans have timely access to the best treatment options. Looking back on the last few years, biopharmaceutical R&D has led to many important new discoveries and accomplishments:

• Unprecedented progress in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including three available vaccines for protection against COVID-19 in the United States, with manufacturers delivering over 12 billion vaccines globally and on track to meet global demands by the end of 2022
• Harnessing the medical power of the genome, including six FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapies, one of which has been shown to provide curative benefits for some children with advanced forms of leukemia
• More than 500 medicines in development for the treatment of disorders of the blood and blood cancers, including novel gene therapies that hold the promise of completely transforming current treatment paradigms
• Improvements in cancer medicines that have contributed to a 32% decrease in cancer mortality since mortality rates peaked in 1991
• Changing the course of HIV/AIDS from a once fatal condition to a chronic manageable disease, including medicines intended to prevent HIV infection from occurring

The biopharmaceutical sector depends on strong intellectual property protections, efficient regulatory systems and a competitive marketplace to deliver innovative medicines and improve the lives of patients. Fulfilling this promise requires engaging policymakers on how best to maintain and strengthen a policy environment that encourages continued R&D investment in areas of high unmet patient need and scientific uncertainty.

We look forward to today’s meaningful conversations with congressional leaders about how to best support the United States’ successful biopharmaceutical research ecosystem and ensure it can yield continued medical advances for patients.

Learn more about the impact of the biopharmaceutical ecosystem across the United States here.