Fixing the translational pathway?

The Scientist announced today (free subscription required) the inauguration of the Committee on Bioscience Innovations, a nonprofit think tank that will seek to find solutions to the translational crisis. What's that? Glad you asked! It's shorthand for the fact that massive Federal investments in scientific research are not yielding the returns they should, either in terms of improved health outcomes for the American taxpayer (who, after all, is footing the bill for all this work) or in increased access / lower cost health interventions. The new group, which is made up of business and academic leaders from around the country, has already identified substantial financial and managerial barriers to the effective translation of research results. It will be interesting to see what else they come up with. As you know if you've read any of our many recent posts about the FDA, questions about what academic researchers and Big Pharma owe us--the taxpaying public--in exchange for our money and our trust--have important ethical repercussions.