Allergan is committed to technology and during the past five years has invested more than $750 million into its technology pipeline. Today, that pipeline is broad and maturing. The company is reaping the rewards of its efforts with the recent introduction of two important new drugs: ALPHAGAN® to treat glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in the world; and TAZORACÒ to treat psoriasis, a skin disorder afflicting up to three percent of the world's population. More than six million people are afflicted with psoriasis in the United States alone.
Allergan continues to invest in leading-edge technologies in several areas. In retinal disease, Allergan formed a research collaboration to target the biological processes involved for treating age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, affecting 13 million people. Currently, there are no therapeutic options for this disorder .
Another area of glaucoma-related ophthalmic research that Allergan pursues is neuroprotection, which aims at limiting loss of vision by focusing treatment on the optic nerve. Also, with no current drugs approved for the neuroprotective treatment of glaucoma, Allergan pursues this study through another research collaboration. Early clinical data have shown that the compound, memantine, demonstrates a neuroprotective effect on the optic nerve.
Allergan continues to invest in leading-edge technologies such as receptor selective retinoids. Research and development at Allergan will continue to be a corporate priority as the company seeks out future technologies beyond the eye and skin care markets. As the company expands into other emerging markets, Allergan will position itself as a worldwide leader in specialty pharmaceuticals.
