Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Public Sector
Institutions:
Map out the
s cientific landscape
and create new
fundamental
knowledge
Large Pharma Firms:
Organize clinical trials,
large scale manufacturing, or
commercialization
Biotech Firms:
Focused on applied research and
the design of new biomolecules
Fig. 2.2 The Trifecta model of innovation in the pharmaceutical industry
adept to serve as a vehicle for advancing scores of drug candidates through clinical
trials to FDA approval, and then to commercialization. These three organizational
types complement each other's strengths and can operate in symbiosis to advance
biomedical research in a trifecta model of innovation (Fig. 2.2 ).
Note that these three types of organizations are not, by nature or by articles of
incorporation, accustomed to be “chummy” with each other. They can be bona fi de
rivals, competing for market share, racing for patents, or vying for the position of a
market leader in their fi eld. And yet, they have come to coexist in a mutually agree-
able way, gaining from synergies and benefi ting from occasional acts of coopera-
tion. The occurrence of drug - centered partnerships appears to be the new business
model increasingly gaining prominence in the pharmaceutical industry.
Throughout the life cycle of a drug, the output of public institutions (i.e., univer-
sities, government labs, hospitals) benefi ts the private sector in at least two major
ways. First, the created fundamental biological and chemical knowledge generated
by the public sector is often used as groundwork for drug discovery as it maps out
promising avenues for applied research. Second, the public sector can assist with
clinical trials, e.g., by contributing practical knowledge for trial design, by carrying
out the actual testing of new drugs, or by collecting and processing post-market
information following the market launch.
Close connections between the private and the public sector can enhance the
performance of private fi rms. Participation in the construction of publicly available
research data and fi ndings, as well as joint publications or presentations with lead-
ing researchers from the public sector are precursors to more effective drug discov-
ery in private fi rms (Cockburn and Henderson 1998 ). Some evidence suggests a
 
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