The US House of
Representative has a new initiative for biomedical R& D “the 21st
Century Cures Act “ (1) . While the overall goal of this initiative, to
advance new therapies, is laudable, as usual the politicians have gotten the
details screwed up. Essentially what this initiative does is to provide
financial rewards such as increased patent lifetimes to companies that engage
in research in targeted areas (eg Alzheimers). It also provides directives to
the NIH to strategize research.
The first aspect is just off
base. Why do we need to incentivize drug companies to conduct research in vital
public health areas? Why not simply use the type of non-profit public-private
partnerships that have been so successful in developing drugs for malaria, TB
and other diseases of less-developed countries? (2). Do we really need to squander
public resources to fatten the wallets of Big Pharma executives?
The second aspect amounts to
an unfunded mandate for the NIH. What is really needed to stimulate R&D in
this country is to get the NIH and other research agencies back on a growth
path.
2. see Science and Public Policy. 40: 393-405, 2013
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