It is almost received wisdom that significant sales opportunities will emerge for pharmaceutical manufacturers as the world’s population gets older, especially in rich world markets and ageing China. However, as drug companies attempt to capitalise on demand for treating diseases linked to old age, such as cancer and dementia, they face several significant challenges. Indeed, research on the relationship between intrinsic ageing and disease has been highlighted as a key priority.
That was the headline message for the global pharmaceutical industry in November at the second Astellas Innovation Debate, an annual event organised and funded by Astellas Pharma Europe. The conference explores the role of innovation in society, with this year’s debate entitled ‘The Age Crunch – Facts, Fears and the Future’, chaired by Lord Robert Winston, professor of science and society and emeritus professor of fertility studies at Imperial College London.
Held at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, in London, attending specialists discussed how the ageing population in both the UK and worldwide will affect health and social care and economics and society as whole, and explored the changes required in current attitudes as well as business and government strategies to overcome these challenges.
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