Biopharmaceutical Research Companies Are Developing More Than 200 Medicines for Cardiovascular Disease

Biopharmaceutical research companies are developing 215 medicines for two of the leading causes of death in Ameri- cans—heart disease and stroke. Medi- cines have helped cut deaths from these diseases by 30 percent between 2001 and 2011, and in 2008 stroke dropped to the fourth leading cause of death after being the third for more than 50 years. This progress is in large part due to innovative medicines.

Despite this progress, heart disease and stroke persist as key public health chal- lenges. According to the American Heart Association, every 39 seconds an Ameri- can dies from cardiovascular disease, and more than 83 million Americans have

at least one type of the disease. These diseases cost our society more than $312 billion a year.   Read more