How Pharmaceutical Innovation Has Revolutionized Health Care

Never before in the history of humanity has there been as rapid an increase in longevity as there was during the 20th century. In industrialized countries, life expectancy at birth has risen from an average of about 50 years in 1900 to a little over 80 years today. A growing number of people can now live not only longer but also healthier than ever before. Indeed, substantial gains in terms of quality-adjusted life expectancy have been recorded for decades in many countries. This Economic Note revisits a few of the most important contributions of the pharmaceutical field over the past century.

Media release: Pharmaceutical innovation and the treatments we could no longer do without