New medicines to fight diseases of particular concern to African Americans
March 31, 2016
Black men are nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men, according to the Office of Minority Health. Several vaccines are currently being studied as possible treatments for cancer. One potential vaccine has tripled the survival rate of men with advanced prostate cancer in clinical trials.
An inherited disorder, sickle cell anemia can clog the blood vessels, depriving the patient of oxygen and often causing severe pain, progressive organ failure and reduced life span. One medicine now in development is designed to address a problem with the lining of the blood vessels. Studies suggest that this dysfunction may play a role in sickle cell and the vascular problems associated with it.
These are just a sampling of the diseases that disproportionately affect African Americans that are currently being targeted for new drug development.
SOURCE Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America