Fast Facts
Clinical research uses human volunteers to
answer specific health questions. Interventional trials determine whether
experimental treatments or new ways of using known therapies are safe
and effective under controlled environments. These treatments are being
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to be
marketed to the general population.
According to the FDA
and Biotechnology Industry Organization:
There are more than 300 biotech drug products
and vaccines currently in clinical trials targeting more than 200 diseases,
including various cancers, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, diabetes,
multiple sclerosis, AIDS, and arthritis.
Biotechnology is responsible for hundreds
of medical diagnostic tests that keep the blood supply safe from the AIDS
virus and detect other conditions early enough to be successfully treated.
The biotechnology industry has mushroomed
since 1992, with US health-care biotech revenues increasing from $8 billion
in 1992 to $39 billion in 2003.
Biotechnology is one of the most research-intensive
industries in the world. The U.S. biotech industry spent $17.9 billion
on research and development in 2003.
In the year 2005, 80 drugs were approved
as a result of the conduct of clinical research trials. 87 drugs have
been fast-tracked by the FDA in 2007. The fast-track program facilitates
the development and expedites the FDA's review of new drugs and biologics
that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for serious
or life-threatening conditions.
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