Answer:
An important hallmark of biotechnology in the 2000s was its continued expansion into chronic diseases, including 106 new biotech products and fifty-nine second or third indications for existing biologic products. 3 The 2000s saw an emphasis on the commercialization of biotech products for chronic diseases with an immune etiology. Diabetes mellitus was treated with products having a novel mechanism of action—for example, GLP-1 mediators impacting the pancreatic cells to improve their insulin release.
The use of monoclonal antibodies to treat cancer expanded significantly, including their use treating solid tumors and leukemias. Biologic product development resulted in new treatments for many orphan diseases. Infectious disease prevention was another major focus, with vaccines approved for human papillomavirus, streptococcal pneumonia, and meningococcal meningitis.
The growing challenge to health care systems worldwide was how to make expensive new therapies affordable for payers and patients. A year of therapy for some rare diseases can cost $250,000–$500,000, while biologics for common chronic diseases can cost $50,000–100,000 annually, all of which puts enormous stress on health care budgets. 3 Going forward, there is a critical need for public discussion about policies to ensure that the greatest number of patients receive access to these life-saving medicines, while also ensuring that incentives for research-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to innovate are not dampened.
