Experts expect around 40 new drugs to be released in 2025. These include new vaccines and medicines against serious illnesses. An overview.
When you think of medical research, images of laboratories, white coats, and endless experiments often come to mind. What emerges has the potential to change the lives of millions of people.
The Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa) predicts that over 40 new drugs could be introduced in Germany in 2025. The focus is on medicines for serious or life-threatening diseases. In concrete terms, this means: Progress is expected particularly for patients with Alzheimer’s, cancer and genetic diseases.
vfa President Han Steutel emphasized: “The pharmaceutical companies can once again present a large number of new developments. Almost all of them serve the therapy or prevention of serious illnesses and represent decisive treatment improvements for many affected patients.” Some examples:
Around a third of the drugs that could come onto the market in 2025 will be used to treat various types of cancer. In particular, progress is in sight in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths. Six new drugs could be approved in 2025. These are based on the most modern technologies – so-called kinase inhibitors, checkpoint inhibitors and bispecific antibodies.
“Of the patients diagnosed with distant metastases, only around six percent survive the next five years; and this has only been made possible by therapeutic advances over decades – including a number of new drugs,” says the association according to a press release. With the new introductions in 2025, survival rates could improve further.
There have been no new medications for Alzheimer’s disease since 2002. But now two new antibody drugs could represent a turning point in treatment. According to vfa, these preparations are likely to be able to slow down the disease process if they are used early. “The European Medicines Agency (Ema) has already recommended the approval of one drug, and approval has already been applied for for the second,” said the vfa.
A promising picture is also emerging in the area of congenital genetic defects. Novel therapies could be used for the first time to treat sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia – using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors.
For the first time, gene therapies could also be available for other serious diseases such as hemophilia B, Duchenne muscular dystrophy or Fanconi anemia. “To date, patients with diseases that are based on inherited genetic defects have often only had inadequate treatment. But the situation could improve for some in 2025,” says the vfa. Whether these innovations actually come to Germany depends crucially on the reimbursement conditions. The new introductions are by no means safe.
Last but not least, there is also significant progress in the field of vaccines. Vaccines against Chikungunya fever – a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes – could be introduced for the first time. It is particularly widespread in Africa, South and Central America, but has also appeared in France and the USA. Due to climate change, experts expect it to spread further in Europe.
In addition, new strain-adapted versions of corona vaccines that reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19 are expected to be available in autumn 2025.