April 25, 2008

Academe Should Oppose Speedier Approval of Generic Drugs

By SHELDON ELLIOT STEINBACH

In the past decade, universities have increasingly searched for ways to derive income from the intellectual property produced by their research centers. Biotechnology, usually commercialized in collaboration with the private sector, has been among the most fruitful university-based research endeavors, for the public as well as universities. Biological medications have made possible crucial advances in the treatment of life-threatening illnesses and yielded significant royalty streams for the