Texas Research Institutions Conducted Over 8,200 Clinical Trials of Medicines Since 1999

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Working in collaboration with university medical schools and science centers, local hospitals and clinical research facilities, America's biopharmaceutical companies have conducted more than 8,200 clinical trials of new medicines in Texas over the last 13 years, according to a new report by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). The report – "Research in Your Backyard: Pharmaceutical Clinical Trials in Texas" – was released today at a news conference with Sen. Bob Deuell, (R - Greenville), Rep. Jim Murphy, (R - Houston), Tom Kowalski, President, Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute and Dr. Curtis Triplitt, Asst. Professor, Diabetes/Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Texas Diabetes Institute, in the Lt. Governor's Press Conference Room at the State Capitol.

The report findings show the state's clinical tests of new medicines have been beneficial to patients, the advancement of science and the economy.

"Improving health is a shared goal of biopharmaceutical companies and state medical schools, hospitals and clinical research facilities. Through clinical trials, they are not only helping advance science and improve patient care, but also strengthening Texas' economy," said Jeffrey Bond, Senior Vice President, PhRMA. "When you consider that clinical trials account for 45 to 75 percent of the average $1.2 billion needed to develop a new medicine, there is greater appreciation for not only the health benefits generated from clinical trials, but also the economic benefits to the state."

Biopharmaceutical research companies are an important source of jobs, tax revenue and research spending in Texas. The Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF) has invested over $130 million in pharmaceutical-related startups since 2005. That public investment in research and development is supported by the state's vast network of public universities and health-related institutions. In 2010, Texas public institutions of higher education invested more than $2.5 billion on medical and life sciences research, accounting for 61 percent of all higher education R&D expenditures in the state.

"We support R&D not only for the jobs it offers and the investment it brings, but also for the significant advancements in health care, pharmaceutical therapies and technology innovations that stand to benefit so many Texans and people around the world," said state Sen. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville). "That's why Texas needs to offer all businesses performing R&D some sort of smart-minded tax credit or incentive."

Texas lawmakers are currently considering proposed legislation that would allow all businesses performing R&D the option between a sales tax exemption on R&D equipment and a franchise or margins tax credit on R&D expenditures, including salaries. Many believe the legislation would give Texas a competitive edge.

"We must foster an environment in Texas that encourages this critical first phase of research and product development," said Rep. Jim Murphy (R-Houston).  "Quality studies that aim to quantify just how critical the R&D sector is to our larger economy and society – studies like this latest clinical trials research assessment – make it clear that we can and must do more to ensure that R&D dollars, jobs and tax revenue flow into, and not out of our state."

More than half of the clinical trials in the Lone Star State have targeted the most devastating chronic diseases, with more than 4,300 aimed at asthma, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and mental illnesses.

Report highlights illustrate the importance of clinical trials for new medicines to treat chronic disease:

• More than 110,000 new cancer cases will be diagnosed this year in the state and 37,000 Texans will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Biopharmaceutical companies and their local research collaborators, including the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas and the Texas Tech University Health Science Center, are currently conducting more than 600 trials of new cancer medicines that are recruiting patients.
• Nearly 10 percent of the state's adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, which, in 2007, killed 5,105 diabetics in the Lone Star State. Currently, 92 clinical trials for diabetes are recruiting patients in Texas.
• More than 189,000 state patients died of heart disease in 2009 and 46,000 from fatal strokes. 49 heart disease and 15 stroke clinical trials are seeking Texas patients.
• About 833,000 Texas adults live with serious mental illness and about 288,000 children have significant mental health conditions, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. 96 clinical trials of new mental illness medicines are seeking patient participants in the Lone Star State.
• The state's asthma toll is more than one million adults and nearly 600,000 children. 29 clinical trials of new asthma treatments are active and recruiting patients at institutions, such as Alamo Clinical Research in Austin.

Through biotechnology, researchers are developing new ways to improve our ability to predict and even prevent disease, providing hope for future generations. Among the 914 clinical trials still recruiting patients in the state, there are trials of a genetically-modified vaccine to treat melanoma, a fusion protein to treat diabetic macular edema and a new antibody that targets lupus and various cancers.

There are dozens of institutions conducting clinical trials of new medicines in collaboration with biopharmaceutical companies in Texas, including:

• Allergy and Asthma Research Institute, Waco
• Baylor Research Institute, Dallas
• M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, Houston
• Central Austin Cancer Center, Austin
• Lone Star Heart Center, Amarillo
• The Methodist Health Systems, San Antonio
• University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

For a full listing of clinical trials that are recruiting patients and their locations within Texas as well as more information on clinical trials, please visit our Clinical Research and Trials page at www.phrma.org/research/clinical-research-trials.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading innovative biopharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to discovering and developing medicines that enable patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Since 2000, PhRMA member companies have invested over $500 billion in the search for new treatments and cures, including an estimated $49.5 billion in 2011 alone.

Find PhRMA Online:

• Website – http://www.phrma.org
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/PhRMA
• Blog – www.phrma.org/catalyst
• Twitter – www.Twitter.com/PhRMA and www.Twitter.com/PhRMApress
• YouTube – www.youtube.com/PhRMApress

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org
For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org
For information on ensuring the flow of medicines during public health emergencies, visit http://www.rxresponse.org

The Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute (THBI) (http://www.thbi.com) was created in 1996 and is a non-profit public policy research organization comprised of biotechnology, medical device, and pharmaceutical companies, as well as research organizations and economic development corporations.  The mission of the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute is to research, develop, and advocate policies and actions that promote biomedical science, biotechnology, agriculture, and medical device innovation in Texas.

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA); Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute (THBI)