Breast cancer will kill an estimated 40,460 American women this year and an estimated 178,480 women will be diagnosed with the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. One medicine now in clinical trials for metastatic breast cancer is designed to bind to and inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that plays a critical role in tumor angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels that feed the tumor) and maintenance of established tumor blood vessels.
Diabetes affects about 9.7 million American women over the age of 20, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to kidney failure, blindness, amputations, and premature death. A new, first-in-class medicine in development has been shown in clinical trials to significantly improve long-term glycemic control. The medicine increases levels of a specific hormone (GLP-1) that stimulates insulin production and reduces the secretion of glucagons, by blocking the action of an enzyme (DPP-4) that inactivates the GLP-1 hormone. By increasing levels of GLP-1 the new medicine could improve the imbalance between insulin and glucose that causes type 2 diabetes.
Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome, affects approximately 2 percent of the U.S. population, of which most are women, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Symptoms can be debilitating and are characterized by chronic and widespread pain throughout the body, often accompanied by severe fatigue and poor sleep. One medicine in development is the first in a new class of drugs known as norepinephrine serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The medicine decreases the uptake of two key neurotransmitters – norepinephrine and serotonin, which play an essential role in regulating pain and mood.
Lupus affects nearly 2 million Americans, 90 percent of whom are women, according to the Lupus Research Institute. In lupus, the body develops antibodies that react against normal tissue, leading to inflammation, pain, tissue injury, and major organ damage. There has been no new medicine approved specifically for lupus in 40 years. Currently, most lupus patients are treated with steroids. But a medicine now in clinical trials shows promise in reducing renal flares, the kidney-destroying inflammation that is the leading cause of illness and death in lupus patients. The flares occur when patients develop antibodies without suppressing the healthy functions of the immune system.
Migraine is a painful neurologic condition that affects more than 29.5 million Americans, with women being affected three times more often than men, according to the National Headache Foundation. One first-in-class medicine in development selectively blocks transmission of pain signals to the brain through the activation of a receptor in the central nervous system.
Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, 80 percent of whom are women, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. A recombinant, injectable version of human parathyroid hormone, a natural occurring protein, may be able to speed up bone formation. Bone is constantly being formed and broken down. In a healthy young person, the rate of bone formation and breakdown is balanced. But in older women, breakdown often occurs at a faster rate than formation, resulting in osteoporosis. Currently approved medicines slow the breakdown, or resorption, of bone. Human parathyroid hormone speeds both the formation and resorption of bone, with a net increase of bone formation, raising hope that it may be able to reverse – not just slow – the course of the disease.
Ovarian cancer accounts for about 3 percent of all cancers among women and ranks second among gynecological cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. Some ovarian cancers release excessive quantities of a surface protein, or antigen, called CA125 into the bloodstream. One potential medicine in development, a monoclonal antibody, stimulates the body’s immune system to attack the protein and kill the tumors.
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting nearly 7 million Americans. A potential medicine in development has a novel approach to treating psoriasis by targeting a part of the inflammatory response that is not addressed by any therapy available today. The medicine is designed to selectively inhibit proteins that are responsible for inflammation. In clinical trials, the medicine reduced psoriasis symptoms – nine of 10 patients receiving the medicine with moderate to severe psoriasis achieved 75 percent improvement in their signs and symptoms of the disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis affects 2.1 million Americans, 70 percent of them women, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive, systemic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the membrane lining in the joints. The joints become painful, swollen, stiff, and in severe cases, deformed. One potential medicine in development is the first humanized interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor-inhibiting monoclonal antibody and may treat rheumatoid arthritis in a novel way. Studies suggest that reducing the activity of IL-6, one of the key proteins involved in the inflammatory process, may reduce inflammation of the joints.
