The United States leads the world in drug development, but we’re in danger of falling behind, to the detriment of countless patients. However, new legislative efforts in the Senate could be an important step in helping more of our patients get the treatment they need.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. lagged behind Europe in drug development. Since then, and thanks in large part to the efforts of patient advocates, lawmakers, and agency personnel working toward reform from the inside, the Food and Drug Administration made great strides to modernize and speed up the nation’s drug approval process. Roughly two-thirds of innovative treatments are now launched first in the U.S.