One hundred and fifty-eight new medicines for children currently are being tested in clinical trials or awaiting review by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a survey released by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), a release said.

These medicines include an inhaled corticosteroid with novel release and distribution properties for the treatment of asthma; a medicine for relapsed paediatric malignancies which comprised of a widely used anticancer drug encapsulated in a unique drug-delivery system, and a potential gene treatment to deliver a functional copy of the mutated gene that plays a role in cystic fibrosis.

"A child born today can expect to live an average of 30 years longer than a child born a century ago," said PhRMA president and CEO Alan F Holmer. "Medicines and vaccines play a large role in lengthening a child's life expectancy as well as improving the quality of that child's life. With new medicines and new knowledge about the use of existing treatments for children, children will recover from illnesses more quickly and more children will enjoy childhood and grow into healthy adults," he opined.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies.