23 new drug applications in the US in 2008

Consider two numbers: 800,000 and 21.

The first is the number of medical research papers that were published in 2008. The second is the number of new drugs that were approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year.
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And before anyone jumps to pin the blame on the F.D.A., it’s important to note that it’s not just new drug approvals that have declined — new drug applications have, too. Last year the F.D.A. received just 23.

Here are the conditions treated for those 23 drugs:

•  Diabetes Mellitus Type II (about 25 million people in the US)
•  Breast Cancer (1.35 million people in the US)
•  Rheumatoid Arthritis, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (about 1 million people in the US)
•  Prostate Cancer (965,000 people in the US)
•  Schizophrenia (430,000 people in the US)
•  Allergic Conjunctivitis (425,000 people in the US)
•  Osteoporosis (416,000 people in the US)
•  Gout (385,000 people in the US)
•  Multiple Sclerosis (384,000 people in the US)
•  Cervical Dystonia, Blepharospasm, Glabellar Lines (about 30,000 people in the US)
•  Dupuytren’s Contracture (21,100 people in the US have this)
•  Gaucher Disease (10,600 people in the US)
•  Reduction of Excess Abdominal Fat in HIV-Infected Patients with Lipodystrophy (5000 people in the US)
•  NAGS Deficiency Hyperammonemia (320 patients per year diagnosed)
•  Pompe disease (90 patients in the US have this)

•  Contraception
•  Prevention of Thromboembolism in Atrial Fibrillation
•  Varicose Vein
•  Pneumonia, Skin and Structure Infection
•  Postcoital Contraception