PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2005-- Upgrades to SAS(R) Scientific Discovery Solutions Include Two New Software Packages for Genotype and Proteomic Analysis The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) in association with Burrill & Company, a San Francisco based life sciences merchant bank, estimate that U.S. biopharmaceutical companies spent an estimated $49.3 billion on research and development in 2004, an exponential increase over the $1.3 billion spent in 1977. However, recent recalls of high-profile medications and persistent questions about the affordability of pharmaceutical treatments have clearly demonstrated that investments in drug development are still very risky. In its Critical Path white paper, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) observed that traditional processes are no longer sufficient in meeting the demands of modern drug development. And with its newly released Pharmacogenomics Data Submissions guidance and the Class II Special Controls Guidance Document: Drug Metabolizing Enzyme Genotyping System, the FDA has shown its commitment toward promoting improved safety by driving the modernization of the drug development process.
