An article in the Journal Miner recently highlighted the fact that many people are living longer, healthier and more productive lives thanks to medical innovation and research.

"A strong, innovative and creative pharmaceutical research and biotechnology sector based in the United States is a real boon to American patients," said Billy Tauzin, president and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

For example, according to a study in Health Affairs, cancer patients live three years longer on average than thirty years ago; 83 percent of that gain is the result of new treatments. In addition, there was a nearly 50 percent decline in heart failure- and attack-related deaths between 1999 and 2005. The rate of AIDS deaths has fallen by more than 70 percent since highly active anti-retroviral therapies were developed, blood pressure medicines prevented 86,000 premature deaths from cardiovascular disease and avoided 833,000 hospitalizations for heart attack and stroke in just one year.

America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies are leading the charge. "American patients often get access to new and better medicines well ahead of patients around the world, and this homegrown innovation not only saves lives, it helps the American economy by employing millions of Americans and pumping billions of dollars into our local and national economies," Tauzin said.

The Congressional Budget Office specifically identified America's biopharmaceutical sector as "one of the most research-intensive industries" in America. Tauzin said, "It's important to keep in mind that developing new therapies can be risky, expensive and time consuming. Creating a new medicine, on average, takes between 10 and 15 years and can cost $1.3 billion. But it's an investment biopharmaceutical research companies make because nothing is as important as the search for new cures and treatments that help patients live longer, healthier lives."

Source: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America