BIOTECHNOLOOGY INDUSTRY FACTS

BIOTECHNOLOOGY INDUSTRY FACTS
 The biotechnology industry emerged in the 1970s, based largely on new
recombinant DNA technology.
 Biotechnology has created more than 200 new therapies and vaccines, including
products to treat cancer, diabetes, HIV/ AIDS and autoimmune disorders.
 There are hundreds of biotech drug products and vaccines currently in clinical trials
targeting more than 200 diseases, including various cancers, Alzheimer’s disease,
heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, AIDS and arthritis.
 Biotechnology is responsible for hundreds of medical diagnostic tests that keep the
blood supply safe from HIV and detect other conditions early enough to be
successfully treated. Home pregnancy tests are also biotechnology diagnostic
products.
 Agricultural biotechnology benefits farmers, consumers and the environment—by
increasing yields and farm income, decreasing pesticide applications and improving
soil and water quality, and providing healthful foods for consumers.
 Environmental biotech products make it possible to clean up hazardous waste more
efficiently by harnessing pollution eating microbes.
 Industrial biotech applications have led to cleaner processes that produce less waste
and use less energy and water.
 DNA fingerprinting, a biotech process, has dramatically improved criminal
investigation and forensic medicine. It has also led to significant advances in
anthropology and wildlife management.
 The biotech industry is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture
(USDA).
 In 1982, recombinant human insulin became the first biotech therapy to earn FDA
approval. The product was developed by Genentech and Eli Lilly and Co.