Ever wonder where we direct the most medical research dollars? You guessed right – it’s cancer – as pointed out on blog The Incidental Economist, which lifted a series infographics from a January JAMA article on the “anatomy of medical research.”
For instance, in 2013 the vast majority of compounds being developed were for cancer therapy – both chemotherapeutic and immunotherapy agents. Check it:
This one’s a fascinating look at which conditions get funding that’s commensurate with prediction. Cancer waaay outpaces most diseases in funding – though HIV/AIDS is a respectable second. Interestingly, despite high prevalence, conditions like migraines, COPD and peptic ulcers remain fairly low in funding.
But this is why:
“Biotech is big,” the Incidental Economist (and countless others, myself included) pointed out. This following chart is, of course, a look at 2011 investment among U.S. companies – when we were still in recession recovery – but it’s a surprising look at which sectors are investing in life sciences. Thanks to computer and electronics investment, biotech is big indeed.
We know that 2014 venture investment was pretty bullish for biotech. But here’s a look at venture allocation from 1995 to 2013:
Also noteworthy: When gauging what medical research patent work looks like on an international scale, China seems deceptively on top – but it’s just based on volume. The U.S. holds the most patents of value.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
