Editor:

Strokes are the leading cause of disability in the United States and the fifth-highest cause of death. This is particularly important to us here at Easter Seals Colorado, where we partner with individuals and families to reduce the impact of disability or health challenges and to enhance quality of life. Rehabilitation services to stroke survivors are among the many services Easter Seals Colorado provides, so we are particularly interested in the prevention and treatment of strokes.

One in six Americans will have a stroke at some point in their lifetime. While there are therapy programs and medications that stroke survivors can utilize to improve their quality of life, we have a long way to go before we reach a widely effective cure.

According to a report from PhRMA and the Association of Black Cardiologists, heart disease and stroke cost the United States $320 billion each year in lost productivity and treatment costs. However, the future holds promise: Biopharmaceutical research companies are currently developing 21 medicines to treat stroke.

Research companies take great financial risk innovating and finding new medical breakthroughs and cures. On average, it takes nearly $2.6 billion to bring a new drug to market, and this process can take up to 15 years. Only a small percentage of drugs in development make it through clinical trials and are approved by the FDA, thus reaching the healthcare marketplace to help patients in need.

Medications provide tremendous value to the patients who rely on them to manage their conditions, as well as the healthcare system as a whole. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget and other national entities agree that money spent on prescription drugs save the healthcare system money elsewhere by preventing expensive surgeries and other intrusive procedures. In order to maintain a marketplace that encourages medical innovation, we must continue to recognize the need for policies that incentivize private investment, so biopharmaceutical companies can attract the capital they need to develop new cures. Medical innovation is the key to solving today’s most prominent and deadly diseases.

Lynn Robinson

President and CEO, Easter Seals Colorado

Denver