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US BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH SPENDING is in danger of dropping, as this excellent article outlines. Almost all major commercial innovations have been linked to university work. Strong universities have spawned clusters of technology companies across the world. For the US, who has a commitment to excellence in research, to fall behind for spurious reasons would unwind its technological competitiveness. Politicization of science is threatening this important world leadership position. http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1675581& View in LinkedIn

THE HUMAN METABOLISM IS NOT SUITED FOR OUR SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE. Driving to work, you have a near-miss accident. Your adrenaline is released, fats mobilized, which for the cave man fleeing a predator would have fueled a flight or fight muscle response. But for you in the car, your fat released is just laid down in the arteries and ultimately, liver. Stress triggers that once served a vital function, now are harmful to our health. Our metabolic evolution is not matched to our social evolution. http://www.frontiersin.org/Neuroscience/10.3389/fnins.2013.00047/abstract View in LinkedIn

THE UK LEADS IN CROWDFUNDING. It was only a few years ago that the British Consulate brought a trade delegation of UK stem cell companies to Silicon Valley. At the reception, every CEO I spoke to had scientifically cutting-edge technology, but were completely stifled by the lack of capital in the UK. Things have changed even in this short time, and it is encouraging to see the UK lead in at least one aspect of funding. http://www.ukbusinessangelsassociation.org View in LinkedIn

HEALTHCARE STARTUPS ARE BECOMING MORE MATURE, especially as scarce resources provide a brutal winnowing of the weaker on the Bell curve. I recall the late 1980s, where any Nobel with a fishing expedition and no clue of an exit could raise buckets of cash. Today, around the globe, I hear VCs and investors comment that there is a maturing. A VC in Spain recently commented that the quality of deals has gone "from 1.0 to 3.0 in a few years". Whether it is accelerators, mentors, VCs or savvy corporate partners, the sector is getting smarter help today. http://lnkd.in/uCZ5jN View in LinkedIn

A FAMOUS AUTHOR BELIEVES THAT BIOTECH WILL DOMINATE THE GLOBE BY LIFE EXTENSIONS. I remain skeptical if this is worthy of pursuit, even if attainable. The betterment of health and QOL is more important. Ultimately, age wears out body systems. Many of them. Trees drop leaves in autumn because it is easier to remake than to repair. Are we to repair all the worn out systems? Or just a few? As I watch my 25 year old cat struggle with the infirmities of age, I am concluding a peaceful exit is more noble. Rather, stop children dying in the streets and the young suffering brutal illnesses. http://lnkd.in/fx2bAc View in LinkedIn

HISTORICALLY, FAILED ANIMAL DRUG STUDIES LED TO A NO-GO. And equally, if a drug passed the animal study hurdle it usually progressed to human studies. Of those, a high percentage failed. Those drugs that got approved were successful in both animal models and in human trials, showing concordance. But it is fair to ask whether an early No-Go based on a failed animal study was meaningful. Animal models have been under criticism for poor predictability. It is likely that patient-derived tissues may improve the predictability rate of preclinical studies, but tissues are still not whole organisms. http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v19/n4/full/nm.3163.html View in LinkedIn

DRUGS BANNED IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD ARE STILL AVAILABLE IN INDIA. The Indian government claims it has become a dumping ground for bad drugs, partly driven by the willingness of doctors and patients to use these banned drugs, and partly due to unethical practices. Recent informed consent abuse charges in a cervical cancer vaccine trial have added a Constant Gardner flavor to the issue, making it a political hot potato. Now any trials in India must have previous or parallel developed world trials. Clearly, Indian regulatory agencies are trying to clean house. http://lnkd.in/mDdacP View in LinkedIn

WITHOUT PATENTS, BIOPHARMA COMPANIES CANNOT GET FUNDING. Without the significant amount of work needed behind every therapeutic product, DNA based Rx innovations would never get off the ground. No IP, no therapeutic innovation. That simple. The enormous costs demand IP protection for the innovator. The arguments for restricting patenting of human DNA must bear this key issue in mind. The so-called genetic freedom is a fuzzy concept with very negative consequences. http://lnkd.in/8ZzNKT View in LinkedIn

AN EXCELLENT REVIEW OF THE BIOTECH-PHARMA RELATIONSHIP TODAY, where it is clearly more efficient for Big Pharma to make early deals on SME biopharma products, and to focus on the expensive late stages of gaining approval and ultimately, marketing. This whole dynamic, however, has been confounded by the pull-back of VCs from funding early biotech, and the simultaneous effects of the Crisis. No clear answer in sight, except perhaps the serious pain Big Pharma is experiencing as it tries to reinvent itself, opening new possibilities. http://lnkd.in/62mN2K View in LinkedIn

VERIZON'S POWERFUL ANSWERS COMPETITION seeking and rewarding with cash innovative ideas worldwide, is a smart way to get ideas from outside of the silo. Internal R&D in big organizations cannot help but be driven top-down and have annual targets to measure these mandates. I have long argued for the benefits of Skunk Works, but this bold initiative sounds promising. It is the ultimate development in back-loaded rewards for unpaid external consultants. http://m.networkworld.com/news/2013/040313-verizon39s-10-million-new-ideas-contest-268375.html#mobify-bookmark View in LinkedIn