Despite this huge cost, funding into research to understand, prevent and treat mental illnesses is disproportionately low, with only 5.8% of health research spend, equating to £9.75 per person affected, compared to £1,571 per person with cancer. You can see from this graph the trend without better understanding: it's set to increase. We need increased funding for research that develops new treatments for mental illnesses. |
How much does it cost to produce new medicines?
It costs approximately £1,150 million to bring one new drug to market.
It takes around 12.5 years to do this.
The cost of drug develop is huge, in both time and money. You can see the attrition rate of potential drugs from this graph - so much resource goes into one medicine.
But if that medicine is effective, it is worth so much more than the money it cost to produce it.
It costs approximately £1,150 million to bring one new drug to market.
It takes around 12.5 years to do this.
The cost of drug develop is huge, in both time and money. You can see the attrition rate of potential drugs from this graph - so much resource goes into one medicine.
But if that medicine is effective, it is worth so much more than the money it cost to produce it.
Mental illness doesn't need just medication
One benefit of mental health being so complex is that it is likely not completely reliant on medication, though this will always remain an essential component of treatment.
For example, research has found cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to be as effective as anti-depressants in treating depression, and patients are less likely relapse post-treatment. CBT is also effective in other mental illnesses when used in combination with other treatments (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder).
Research into mental health encompasses psychology, psychiatry and social science, which tend to be cheaper than drug development. Therefore, it is likely that additional treatments can be developed alongside effective medication, that will hopefully take less time to come to clinic and take less funding.
Either way, progress in developing new treatments is slow, but it's even slower if the funding isn't there to start with.
That's why charities like MQ are so vital in increasing support and awareness for mental health.
For example, research has found cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to be as effective as anti-depressants in treating depression, and patients are less likely relapse post-treatment. CBT is also effective in other mental illnesses when used in combination with other treatments (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder).
Research into mental health encompasses psychology, psychiatry and social science, which tend to be cheaper than drug development. Therefore, it is likely that additional treatments can be developed alongside effective medication, that will hopefully take less time to come to clinic and take less funding.
Either way, progress in developing new treatments is slow, but it's even slower if the funding isn't there to start with.
That's why charities like MQ are so vital in increasing support and awareness for mental health.