More is less

摘要: Funding for the life sciences, in particular biomedical research, has increased enormously during past few decades. The budget US National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA) alone nearly quadrupled from US$7.5 billion 1990 to US$28.5 2006. Although this might be an extreme example, overall trend is clear: both fundamental and applied, receives enormous amount publicly financed funding—and not just USA. Citizens politicians all over world hope that research will deliver new cures, therapies diagnostics a wide range diseases. ![][1] However, there growing concern among stakeholders—ultimately patients taxpayers—that they are getting value money. ‘war against cancer’, declared as early 1971, far being won, similar wars Parkinson disease Alzheimer also going well. These other failures have caused many Europeans, others, think about more efficient funding mechanisms—sometimes based on proven practices areas such finance, electronics information technology. Of course, some examples successful strategies within contributions one prominent financier into prostate cancer 1990s—but these tend exceptions. Inevitably, decision fund rests question how measure return investment. problem payback can assessed different ways—for cure found, vaccine brought step nearer, patents won—and often takes years materialize. But even without clear guidelines measuring success, fields, notably those focusing certain cancers infectious diseases, gone Despite ever levels funding, yielded treatments; only … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif