New therapeutic approaches and breakthroughs in medicine improve the chances in the fight against cancer, but require intensive research.
Today, a cancer diagnosis is no longer automatically associated with a death sentence. We owe this to the outstanding milestones that have been achieved so far in cancer research and therapy development. Thanks to intensive research, some types of cancer are becoming increasingly easier to treat and are even becoming chronic diseases. This is a huge incentive for everyone involved in the already complex and enduring fight against cancer
Mag. Alexander Herzog, Secretary General of PHARMIG
Vienna (OTS) – Every year in Austria, over 44,000 people are diagnosed with cancer, according to the current report Austrian cancer report emerges. Innovative therapies help those affected to improve their quality of life and survive longer. Cancer research is in full swing and clearly shows how basic and applied research go hand in hand to make more and more of the over 250 known types of cancer treatable and, ideally, curable.
“Today, a diagnosis of cancer is no longer automatically associated with a death sentence. We owe this to the outstanding milestones that have been achieved so far in cancer research and therapy development. Thanks to intensive research, some types of cancer are becoming increasingly easier to treat and are even becoming chronic diseases. This is a huge incentive for everyone who is committed to the already complex and enduring fight against cancer.”
says Alexander Herzog, Secretary General of PHARMIG, on the occasion of the upcoming World Cancer Day on February 4, 2024.
In recent years, immunotherapy and gene and cell therapy have led to significant advances in cancer treatment. CRISRP/Cas9 also opens up a new field in therapy development. This technology enables the targeted cutting and modification of gene sequences. By precisely adapting altered and disease-causing genes, the chances of success in finding new treatment options for use in modern medicine increase in the future.
“This procedure may be just the beginning of a new era in medicine. There are already initial therapies based on this and it can be assumed that the fight against cancer will also benefit from this. “The so-called genetic scissors are a prime example of how basic research and applied research intertwine and how they can contribute to the development of new therapies, especially in pharmaceutical research,” says Herzog happily.
In Austria, oncology is the most researched therapeutic area, accounting for around 36 percent of all clinical trials. Between 1995 and 2020, 145 new drugs were approved in oncology. By 2022, a further 43 new cancer drugs will have been brought onto the market in Europe – 24 of them with new active ingredients. Numerous other medications are currently in development.
About PHARMIG: PHARMIG is the voluntary interest group of the Austrian pharmaceutical industry. The association currently has around 120 members (as of February 2024), who cover a good 95 percent of the medication market. PHARMIG and its member companies stand for the best possible security of supply of medicines in the healthcare system and ensure social and medical progress through quality and innovation.
Questions & Contact:
PHARMIG – Association of the Austrian Pharmaceutical Industry
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