1. PHARMACEUTICAL EXECUTIVE
20 Leading Indicators Policy
Contents MONTH XXXXwww.pharmexec.com
JULY 2010 www.pharmex.com
Strategy
Innovation Nation
Maintaining US leadership in medicines innovation requires consistent appli-
cation of a few simple themes, with an unlimited payoff for future generations
t is no surprise that the world-renowned biology patents and end settlements patient safety. Pharma must
I US leads the world in
medical innovation. Between
journals.
According to Bruno
between innovators and
generic companies. The FTC
find a way to succeed in this
environment without losing
1969 and 2008, Americans Cohen, president of the did not deny the claim that site of its main goals.
received 57 Nobel Prizes in Galien Foundation, “Medical it had violated a company’s “Along with scientific
Medicine and Physiology, innovation cannot be taken confidentiality. discovery and biomedical
compared with 40 prizes for granted. The discovery Such approaches are understanding, companies
received by European Union, bar is extremely high when it damaging because enlight- must master another layer of
Japan, Canada, Switzerland comes to safety, efficacy, and ened public policies can foster essential knowledge—how
and Australia scientists ongoing clinical validation. innovation through partner- to comply with the myriad
combined. The private incen- But the Big Question for the ship—between government of legal, regulatory, monitor-
tive system combined with future is ‘Who is going to research bodies, private ing and risk-management
the American trait of seeing fund innovation ?’” industry, and academic requirements of government
failures as a step toward new institutions—sharing ideas agencies,” says Timothy
solutions has created an in- Rewarding Innovation with and resources to maximize Wright, president of Covidi-
novation environment. Incentives potential. These partnerships en’s Pharmaceuticals segment.
The Nobel Prize recog- Along with this high-level can speed the discovery pro- Freedom from disease
nizes individual achievement, recognition, society needs to cess by bringing the brightest does not just ensure health; it
but medicines such as No- ensure incentives for com- minds from all three sectors ensures the economy freeing
vartis Oncology’s GLEEVEC panies to take risks in their together, expanding the pos- people to work and raise
and Alexion’s Soliris are research; otherwise industry sibilities of discovery. families. Innovation still
developed by cross-functional will make research ventures demands private and public
teams working to solve a that do not push the knowl- Responsibility to Future sector collaboration.
complex problem. This group edge and treatment qual- Generations As we move deeper into
effort has led to the com- ity metrics forward. Those “Bona fide innovation does the 21st century and our sci-
mercialization of medicines incentives can take the form more than treat illness,” notes entific knowledge continues
that have transformed once of government policies that Steve Brozak, president, WBB to grow, it is imperative that
deadly blood disorders into reward new avenues of re- Securities. “It carries with it a we create the circumstances
well-managed conditions. search, such as tax breaks for responsibility to safely deliver that foster the entrepre-
companies actively engaged on physician and patient neurial scientific spirit that
Recognizing Innovative in new lines of discovery. expectations. It must be vali- transforms that knowledge
Achievement Another incentive is main- dated, studied and examined into the next cure. And in-
To celebrate these and other taining strong protections for by peer-research partners.” dustry must continue to take
medical miracles, The Prix intellectual property. While Part of that innovative advantage of those circum-
Galien Award was created sharing knowledge is crucial environment is superior stances and take the risks
in 1970 by French pharma- to the scientific discovery, the education. The path to a cure that potentially lead to the
cist Roland Mehl and was reality is that inventors must is not walked overnight and next cure. We must keep that
inaugurated in the US in have some guarantee that the next generation needs the drive for innovation alive
2007. The award recognizes their struggles with science knowledge base to pursue so that today’s children or
the technical, scientific, and and the regulatory process scientific discovery. They need their children can grow up to
clinical-research skills essen- will be protected. role models that can prove be shocked by the idea that
tial to developing innovative Last month, Federal to them that researchers AIDS or cancer or any of the
medicines and devices and is Trade Commission (FTC) like Alexander Fleming, the diseases of our time could
now the industry’s high- Chairman Jon Leibowtiz researcher behind penicillin, ever be deadly. —GIL BASHE
est accolade; equivalent to was questioned by the top are the real heroes.
the Nobel Prize. The Prix Republican on the Senate Government has a Gil Bashe is executive vice presi-
dent of Makovsky and Co. He can
Galien USA award commit- antitrust subcommittee, Sen. responsibility to create the be reached at gbashe@makovsky.
tee comprises 11 individuals Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Hatch conditions for the pharma- com
including Nobel Laureates, worried about FTC efforts to ceutical industry to push the
founders of major biotech use confidential information boundaries of science’s ability
companies, and editors of to challenge pharma industry to improve lives and protect