France's drugmakers issue annual report

France's Transparency Commission has identified 51 therapeutic improvements attributable to pharmaceutical products during 2007, the French drug industry association (LEEM) reports. Notable successes are in the oncology, rare diseases and age-related conditions, the group added, while overall, the number of innovations has remained fairly constant over the past five years at about 50. However, the LEEM points out that 2,778 medicines are under development in the USA.

Robert Dahan, chairman of the LEEM's scientific, pharmaceutical and medical affairs commission, said: "the pharmaceutical industry is at life-changing crossroads. Faced with [a] new complexity and the extent of unsatisfied needs, it is fashioning a new and more selective development model."

The LEEM's review of the data shows that, for 2007, the number of biologic molecules developed was 10, of which four were monoclonal antibodies versus six MAbs out of eight biologics in the previous year.