Can Regenerative Medicine Help Close the Gap Between the Medicine Pipeline and Public Health Burden of Cardiovascular and Musculoskeletal Diseases?

Abstract

PurposeThis commentary discusses the therapeutic and economic potentials of regenerative medicine (RM) by addressing how the reprioritization of resources in drug development may alleviate unmet medical need across many diseases, but especially cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs), the leading causes of mortality and morbidity, respectively, in the United States. MethodsData and perspectives represented in this commentary were obtained through an online literature search, public press releases from federal agencies and companies, online opinion pieces, published journal articles, and consulting agency reports; however, there were limitations to the available data because of the breadth and novelty of the therapeutic modalities involved. FindingsCurrently, the misallocation of resources within the therapeutic areas of CVDs and MSDs are possibly contributing to low approval rates, high cost of drug treatments, and consequently, disease burden. With a 2025 global market estimate of US $50.5 billion, RM is expected to become a major player in the pharmaceutical industry, with a potential to change the treatment paradigm and lessen disease burden across multiple disease areas, most notably in CVDs and MSDs. ImplicationsWhile the public sector appears to be doing its fair share by funding basic research and revamping regulatory regimes to address the vagaries of RM as a rapidly emerging novel technology, the support framework necessary for transforming the field from a promising concept to available therapy requires levels of resource allocation and marketing support that only the private sector can provide.