Pharmaceutical companies are working on 109 potential treatments for a variety of mental illnesses - from Alzheimer's disease to depression to schizophrenia to dependence on alcohol - according to a new survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). All of the medicines are either in human clinical testing or awaiting approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

"Over the past half century, pharmaceutical research has helped transform mental illnesses from misunderstood causes of shame and fear into highly treatable conditions," PhRMA president and CEO Alan F. Holmer said adding, "Still, nearly 50 million Americans suffer from some form of mental illness, and these illnesses cost our economy more than $150 billion a year. The potential medicines in the pipeline promise to reduce the toll of these illnesses and allow more people to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives."

The medicines in development include- 25 for dementias, including Alzheimer's disease, which affects about 4.5 million Americans; 24 for substance abuse disorders, including dependence on alcohol, tobacco or illicit drugs; 18 for anxiety disorders, which affect more than 13 per cent of adults between the ages of 18 and 54. 14 for depression, which affects nearly 19 million Americans; 11 for schizophrenia, which affects some 2.2 million adults each year.

Other potential medicines target attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, premenstrual disorders and sleep disorders, the PhRMA release said here.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA members invested an estimated $33.2 billion in 2003 in discovering and developing new medicines.