Investing In Medical Progress


	In health care, better outcomes for patients often depend on new or improved treatments. A grandfather’s Alzheimer’s medicine, a child’s bandage-wrapped finger, a friend’s artificial knee all represent medical progress. Antiseptic wound dressing was the first product of Johnson & Johnson more than 100 years ago, revolutionizing the practice of medicine and paving the way for modern surgery. The medical advances we take for granted today – treatments for cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS – were all made possible by critical investments in research and development (R&D) years ago. Research advances have led to more accurate diagnoses, less invasive treatments, faster returns to work, shorter hospital stays, fewer medical errors, more convenient treatments, fewer side effects, and longer lives. Importance of Investing in R&D Sometimes, advances in treatment seem minor and not revolutionary. But these smaller improvements build on each other, and their value to patients over the longer term is often very significant and may be life changing. Continuing investments in R&D are essential if we want tomorrow’s care to be even better. And because research is risky, expensive and takes many years, it’s critical that companies conducting medical research operate in an environment that appreciates and rewards the investments they make. The Environment for Medical Progress Health care companies such as Johnson & Johnson are always trying to identify the next big opportunity in science in order to bring new treatments to patients. But research and development is not enough to guarantee new and better therapies in the future. Medical progress also depends on policies that encourage research, such as intellectual property and data protection laws, as well as robust and efficient regulatory and approval processes, accurate ways to evaluate the effectiveness of new treatments, and adequate and fair reimbursement. Achieving all of this can be difficult. All health care systems have limited resources, and they often must make trade-offs among quality, choice, costs, access, and medical progress. This can sometimes result in barriers to medical progress that make it hard to continue investing in more risky areas of research and development. Our Products Our History The Value of Innovation in New Products Approaches for Accessing New Medical Advances Regulating and Approving Products Impediments to Medical Progress Intellectual Property

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Investing In Medical Progress

	In health care, better outcomes for patients often depend on new or improved treatments. A grandfather’s Alzheimer’s medicine, a child’s bandage-wrapped finger, a friend’s artificial knee all represent medical progress. Antiseptic wound dressing was the first product of Johnson & Johnson more than 100 years ago, revolutionizing the practice of medicine and paving the way for modern surgery. The medical advances we take for granted today – treatments for cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS – were all made possible by critical investments in research and development (R&D) years ago. Research advances have led to more accurate diagnoses, less invasive treatments, faster returns to work, shorter hospital stays, fewer medical errors, more convenient treatments, fewer side effects, and longer lives. Importance of Investing in R&D Sometimes, advances in treatment seem minor and not revolutionary. But these smaller improvements build on each other, and their value to patients over the longer term is often very significant and may be life changing. Continuing investments in R&D are essential if we want tomorrow’s care to be even better. And because research is risky, expensive and takes many years, it’s critical that companies conducting medical research operate in an environment that appreciates and rewards the investments they make. The Environment for Medical Progress Health care companies such as Johnson & Johnson are always trying to identify the next big opportunity in science in order to bring new treatments to patients. But research and development is not enough to guarantee new and better therapies in the future. Medical progress also depends on policies that encourage research, such as intellectual property and data protection laws, as well as robust and efficient regulatory and approval processes, accurate ways to evaluate the effectiveness of new treatments, and adequate and fair reimbursement. Achieving all of this can be difficult. All health care systems have limited resources, and they often must make trade-offs among quality, choice, costs, access, and medical progress. This can sometimes result in barriers to medical progress that make it hard to continue investing in more risky areas of research and development. Our Products Our History The Value of Innovation in New Products Approaches for Accessing New Medical Advances Regulating and Approving Products Impediments to Medical Progress Intellectual Property

In health care, better outcomes for patients often depend on new or improved treatments. A grandfather’s Alzheimer’s medicine, a child’s bandage-wrapped finger, a friend’s artificial knee all represent medical progress. Antiseptic wound dressing was the first product of Johnson & Johnson more than 100 years ago, revolutionizing the practice of medicine and paving the way for modern surgery.

The medical advances we take for granted today – treatments for cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS – were all made possible by critical investments in research and development (R&D) years ago. Research advances have led to more accurate diagnoses, less invasive treatments, faster returns to work, shorter hospital stays, fewer medical errors, more convenient treatments, fewer side effects, and longer lives.

Importance of Investing in R&D
Sometimes, advances in treatment seem minor and not revolutionary. But these smaller improvements build on each other, and their value to patients over the longer term is often very significant and may be life changing. Continuing investments in R&D are essential if we want tomorrow’s care to be even better. And because research is risky, expensive and takes many years, it’s critical that companies conducting medical research operate in an environment that appreciates and rewards the investments they make.

The Environment for Medical Progress
Health care companies such as Johnson & Johnson are always trying to identify the next big opportunity in science in order to bring new treatments to patients. But research and development is not enough to guarantee new and better therapies in the future.

Medical progress also depends on policies that encourage research, such as intellectual property and data protection laws, as well as robust and efficient regulatory and approval processes, accurate ways to evaluate the effectiveness of new treatments, and adequate and fair reimbursement.

Achieving all of this can be difficult. All health care systems have limited resources, and they often must make trade-offs among quality, choice, costs, access, and medical progress. This can sometimes result in barriers to medical progress that make it hard to continue investing in more risky areas of research and development.

Our Products
Our History
The Value of Innovation in New Products
Approaches for Accessing New Medical Advances
Regulating and Approving Products
Impediments to Medical Progress
Intellectual Property