Interesting facts about the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
Pharma and Biotech Industries
The pharma industry is a well-established global industry that has been growing rapidly over the years, particularly in the last decade.
In Israel, there is also a significant pharmaceutical industry, which consists of research and development centers and manufacturing plants. Most pharmaceutical companies in Israel are engaged in the production of generic drugs, while a few are involved in producing branded drugs, although many branded drugs were developed in Israel.
Roots of the Israeli Pharmaceutical Industry
The roots of Israel's pharmaceutical industry date back to the 1930s.
Today, the pharmaceutical industry in Israel continues to expand and grow in line with the aging population, population growth, the increase in chronic diseases, and the high standard of living.
As of 2022, more than 9,000 people are employed in the pharmaceutical industry in Israel, half of whom are academics.
In 2009, the sales volume of the industry in Israel reached 4.6 billion dollars, of which approximately 4.3 billion dollars were for export, accounting for about 12% of the total industrial exports of Israel.
What is the Difference Between Pharma and Bio-Pharma?
In the last decade, the pharma industry has undergone significant changes.
These changes were driven by a dramatic increase in healthcare spending and the costs of developing new drugs, as well as the long time required for their development.
On the other hand, the advancement of technologies in engineering, biology, physics, big data, and medicine has created a new multidisciplinary pharmaceutical industry, based on the integration of these technologies.
According to the Innovation Authority's innovation report, global healthcare expenditure is expected to reach 10 trillion dollars by 2022, with the increase in life expectancy and the prevalence of chronic diseases contributing to this expenditure.
Currently, about 50% of the U.S. population is considered to be chronically ill.
As a result of these changes, the development of new drugs has become more expensive and complex. The average cost of developing a drug is approximately 2.6 billion dollars, compared to less than 200 million dollars in the 1970s.
Innovative Biomedical Therapeutic Techniques
Gene Therapy
Gene therapy is an innovative treatment technique in which engineered genes are inserted into the cell nucleus to correct genetic mutations that prevent the body from producing essential proteins.
This is an experimental treatment with high risk, performed only after all other treatment options have been exhausted.
Cell Therapy
Stem cell transplantation to regenerate damaged cells and tissues in the body. Treatments such as bone marrow transplants for cancer are examples of this.
Nano-Robotics
The precise and safe delivery of drugs to disease areas, using engineered robots to release the drugs in response to the cell environment.
New Drug Discovery
Today, innovative research models are used for drug discovery, including technologies such as "organ-on-a-chip," which allows for more efficient and cost-effective screening of potential drugs.
Regenerative Medicine
This field of research focuses on creating new organs and tissues in the laboratory, using human or animal cells.
3D printing technologies allow for printing organs with the resolution of individual cells.
Biological Sensors
A technology that integrates biotechnology with nanotechnology, using proteins, nucleic acids, and bacterial DNA to detect specific substances and respond to medical changes in real-time.
Optogenetics
A method that combines genetic engineering with physical technologies to precisely control the activity of neural networks in the brain, allowing for the understanding of brain function and the control of behavior.
Summary
Innovations in the pharma and biotech fields pose medical and ethical challenges, especially when it comes to experimental treatments in the fields of genetics and cells. While these treatments are promising, they require adherence to medical ethics and patient consent.
Additionally, the new technologies are associated with very high costs, which limits access to them.
