Abstract
In US political rhetoric, the biotechnology industry is often described as strategic; that is, as crucial to national economic interests. Policies have thus been designed to promote private sector investment in biotechnology R&D and commercialization of biotechnology products. To date, the dominant focus of this activity has been therapeutic biotechnology (i.e., human diagnostics and pharmaceuticals), especially pharmaceuticals. But the US has also designed policies to contain the costs of health care, which includes biotechnology drugs. The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the factors that have resulted in contradictory policies impinging on biotechnology. Emphasis is on the United States, because it accounts for the largest public and private sector investment in biotechnology to date. but a similar dilemma faces Europe and Japan. The paper concludes that unless one of three proposed actions is taken, the differences in policies affecting therapeutic biotechnology — to promote and to contain —may indeed be irreconcilable.
Published Version
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