Samuel Lagercrantz: “Companies that do this successfully will take the lead”
Av How many drugs do all the pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide develop together? I got an exact figure when I asked Ian Lloyd, Senior Director of analyst firm Citeline, last week. 22,921, was the answer after he checked his database; see the previous article in Life Science Sweden.
It is, of course, impossible to know exactly how many drugs are in the pipeline. However, Citeline probably gives the most accurate answer possible, as it continuously scans different sources to update its data.
The fact that the number of drugs in development is now approaching 23,000 is a record high, even though times are tough, which is reflected in the pharmaceutical industry.
In recent months, Life Science Sweden has reported significant staff cuts at companies including Bayer, Novartis and Roche. In Sweden, Astra Zeneca recently announced that it was laying off 200 employees in Mölndal.
While the big pharmaceutical companies are cutting back, many biotech companies are finding it difficult to raise capital. Uppsala-based Ilya Pharma, which develops medicines for wound healing, is trying to counter the situation by using its expertise in microbiology for a side business – beer brewing.
With interest rate cuts and a turnaround in the economy, brighter times are emerging for both individuals and industry. Will we see even more medicines being developed? Yes, that will probably be the case. The number of medicines in development has been steadily increasing over the last few decades, and with a better economy, the increase will accelerate even more. However, the big question is not how many medicines are being developed but how useful they are.
After all, isn’t it more valuable to have an extra year of high quality of life than two additional years of pain and agony if you have to choose?
The Swedish Cancer Society recently published a report on palliative care – care that provides relief when a cure is no longer possible, which is an integral part of healthcare that must not be forgotten.
The life science sector has a vital role to play here. The development of new medicines and medical technologies should not focus too narrowly on prolonging life. It is equally important to research treatments that relieve pain or remove painful symptoms. After all, isn’t it more valuable to have an extra year of high quality of life than two additional years of pain and agony if you have to choose? For me, the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes.
Another crucial mission is to find alternatives to existing treatments with fewer side effects.
Specifically in terms of side effects, the sector has a lot to work on. Take, for example, the greatest success ever for the Swedish pharmaceutical industry, the development of omeprazole, which led to a drug that has helped and continues to help millions of people around the world.
However, omeprazole, like all medicines, can have undesirable side effects. Recently, it was recognised that those who need to take omeprazole long-term are at increased risk of osteoporosis, which is a serious disease in itself. The next step should be to develop an omeprazole 2.0 that does not reduce the absorption of calcium into the body and thus causes osteoporosis.
Or look at the drug that has been on everyone’s lips in recent years: semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy). It is helping countless people with diabetes and obesity to improve their quality of life and reduce complications. Nevertheless, a large proportion of patients stop taking the drug because of side effects. Several companies now have similar drugs in their pipelines. Imagine the company that manages to develop an obesity drug that works and has a more favourable side effect profile. I dare say it will be a huge success.
And now, back to cancer. We can hardly overestimate the value of treatments without severe side effects in this field. Many exciting developments are on the horizon, such as new targeted drugs.
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