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Despite the many basic research discoveries in genetics, relatively few gene-based treatments, drugs, or preventative measures have been developed. One way to bridge this gap may be for industry, academia, and government to develop partnerships that share resources while distributing risk. However, intellectual property protections and other barriers can inhibit collaborative efforts. The Institute of Medicine held a workshop on July 22, 2010, to explore these issues and develop solutions.

Despite spending more time and money in developing novel therapeutics, the success rate for new pharmacologic treatments has been poor. Although the research and development expenditures have grown 13 percent each year since 1970 (a 50-fold increase), the number of new drugs approved annually is no greater now than it was 50 years ago. Over the past decade, skyrocketing costs and the complexity of the scientific knowledge upon which to develop new agents have provided incentives for alternative approaches to drug development, if we are to continue to improve clinical care and reduce mortality. These challenges create opportunities for improved collaboration between industry, academia, government, and philanthropic organizations at each stage in new drug development, marketing, and implementation. Perhaps the most appropriate initial step in addressing the need for collaboration is to consider more precompetitive relationships that allow sharing of scientific information to foster drug development. While these collaborative relationships in basic and preclinical research on drug targets and the early stages of clinical testing are acknowledged to be potentially important drivers for innovation and more rapid marketing of new agents, they also raise a number of concerns that must be addressed. For example, acknowledgment of academic productivity and independence and economic competitiveness must be considered and these challenges managed to foster a culture of collaboration. At the same time, regulatory issues, the need for standardization, and intellectual property concerns must be confronted if the current models for drug development are to be refined to encourage robust participation in precompetitive collaborations. Recognizing the growing importance of precompetitive collaborations in oncology drug development, as well as the challenges these innovative collaborations pose, the National Cancer Policy Forum of the Institute of Medicine held a workshop on February 9 and 10, 2010. This book is a summary of the workshop proceedings.

This volume of 12 chapters contains some of the latest research on university-based technology transfer, intellectual property issues, and the entrepreneurship program/technology transfer interface. Eleven of the papers are from the Colloquium on Entrepreneurship Education and Technology Transfer held at the White Stallion Ranch, Tucson, Arizona, January 21-23, 2005, organized by the Karl Eller Center, University of Arizona, and funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City. Patterns of technology transfer are outlined in papers by Donald Siegel, Phillip Phan, David Mowery, and David Audretsch, Max Keilbach, and Erik Lehmann. They describe the determinants of technology transfer, its impact, and challenges within a university setting. The history of university licensing activity is provided. Intellectual property issues and questions of the relationship between traditional basic university research and applied, potentially commercial research are described in papers by Katherine Strandburg, David Adelman, and Brett Frischmann. The ineffectiveness of university blocking patents in certain areas of the biosciences is discussed, along with broader questions of licensing and ownership. Interdisciplinary university entrepreneurship programs are outlined in papers by Jerry Thursby, Marie Thursby, Thomas Byers and Andrew Nelson, and Arthur Boni and S. Thomas Emerson. The authors detail the approaches taken at four universities to link entrepreneurship programs to technology transfer and technology transfer offices. The insights for adoption elsewhere are valuable. The final chapter by Morton Kamien is an essay on the characteristics and importance of entrepreneurs in the growth of a society.