Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Neurologic Therapies
Challenges and Opportunities in
Developing Neurologic Therapies
Need for Neurologic Disease Therapies
Neurologic diseases include more than 600 conditions affecting approximately
one billion people worldwide (WHO, 2006). Certain diseases, such as Alzheimer
disease, Parkinson disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, disproportionately
affect aging populations. Other conditions, such as migraine, epilepsy, stroke,
and traumatic brain injury affect people of all ages. Autism, cerebral palsy, and
Tourette syndrome are commonly diagnosed early in life (Hirtz, 2007).
Because of the aging of the population, rates of neurologic disorders are
expected to dramatically rise in the coming decades (Albert, 2007). Forecasts
suggest that 10 million individuals will be diagnosed with Alzheimer disease by
2050 and that 6 million of these patients will suffer from moderate or severe
dementia (Albert, 2007). The number of individuals with Parkinson disease
worldwide is likely to double from 4.6 million in 2005 to 9.3 million by 2030
(Dorsey, 2007).
For neurologic disorders that are chronic and progressive, patients require a
great deal of healthcare support. Many patients endure repeated
hospitalizations and have an ongoing need for assistive devices and
rehabilitative services (Albert, 2007; WHO, 2006). Patients can suffer through
years of diminished quality of life and productivity (Albert, 2007; DCPP, 2006;
WHO, 2006). Despite the significant and growing burden of neurologic
conditions, in recent years approvals for new drugs have been rare (Kaitin,
2010; Pangalos, 2007).
In any therapeutic area, new drug development is a long, expensive process
involving many players and organizations. Recent estimates suggest that the
cost of bringing a new drug to market can be as high as $1.3 billion (Honig,
2010). Yet overall success rates for drug approvals are only 16% to 19%, and the
rate reported for neurologic indication is only 8% (DiMasi, 2010)