Lab results must be 'turned into action'

American biotech leader Susan Desmond-Hellmann has called on more research to be turned into treatments in order to keep campus-based biomedical research relevant; it has been reported in the Salt Lake Tribune.

In a speech to a University of Utah audience Tuesday she said that: "The United States spends more on medical breakthroughs than any other country, but are we healthier? Is it accessible, is it affordable and will it change the health of the community?"

It is on these foundations that the National Institute of Health awarded its largest-ever grant, a $112 million investment that will be distributed over five years in order to pursue "translational" research, or converting what is learned in the lab into new treatments.

This will lead to a significant restructuring of research that will develop a keen eye toward marketable results. The 'bench to bedside' approach signals a significant evolutionary period in American research, as more is being asked of scientific tests.

Coming up with new treatments is no longer enough, as researchers are asked what these treatments need to prevent disease, reduce cost and actually improve the overall health of society. All of these factors are loosely translated into what marketable appeal the research has, or in business parlance, their ROI.

Posted by Claire Manning