Documenti di Didattica
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VIEW SCOREC D: BIOTECHS
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THE REPRODUCIBILITY
PROBLEM
COUNTING THE
START-UPS ON THE
NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE
SOCIAL MEDIA
ETIQUETTE LESSONS
FOR INDUSTRY
2016
DEFINING VALUE IN CANCER CARE
By STACEY L. WORTHY They are the American Society for society, and the U.S. health care
Director of Public Policy, The Alliance Clinical Oncologys Value Frame- system, even as overall drug spend-
for the Adoption of Innovations in work, the European Society for ing on a relative basis has remained
Medicine (Aimed Alliance) Medical Oncologys Magnitude constant for over 50 years. Using
L
of Clinical Benefit Scale, the In- cancer as the case in point, new
ooking at 2016 and beyond, stitute for Clinical and Economic treatments have contributed to a
there is a lot to celebrate about Reviews Pricing Benchmark, 30 percent drop in cancer deaths
the nations progress in treat- Memorial Sloan Ketterings Dru- over the last two decades, making
ing cancer. Breakthroughs gAbacus, and the National Com- it possible for patients to experi-
are occurring at lightning speed, prehensive Cancer Networks Evi- ence 50 million additional years
giving new hope and added years dence Blocks. of life and generate $4.7 trillion in
of life to those battling rare and An examination of these value economic activity. Based on these
hard-to-treat cancers, such as mul- tools finds each has a different tangible measures, a 2009 study
tiple myeloma and advanced lung design and uses different crite- by Cornell University research-
cancer. Consider these major de- ria. Yet, they all share a common ers concluded that when longev-
velopments in 2015 alone: element: value as it involves the ity, quality of life, and the greater
cost-effectiveness of novel cancer efficacy of todays treatments are
T
he Food and Drug Administration drugs is determined based on the considered, the true cost of cancer
(FDA) approved 14 novel oncology average patient. While this may medications is 30 percent less than
drugs, including 10 immunotherapies be attractive to Medicare and some a decade ago.
that free up the bodys immune
system to recognize and destroy
of the nations biggest health insur- Reinforcing these conclusions,
specific cancer cells ers due to a greater emphasis on the Commerce Departments Bu-
cost, in reality, there is no average reau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
T
he first genetically engineered virus
reached the U.S. market to treat ad-
cancer patient as the revolution applied 2015 data to report that the
vanced melanoma, setting the stage in personalized medicine and im- net value of treatment has grown
for a long-awaited class of therapies munotherapies clearly shows. Ev- substantially, consistent with medi-
F ormer President Jimmy Carter ery person with cancer is unique, cal technology, leading to better
announced that he was cancer-free and even patients with the same health outcomes at a lower cost
after receiving an innovative therapy type and stage of cancer may re- per patient. Between 2000 and
for a melanoma that had spread to spond very differently to the exact 2010, the report found an increase
his brain same treatment regimen. in positive health outcomes from
This truth is of central impor- treatment with new therapies in 20
Unfortunately, these scientific tance when defining the value of of the 30 chronic diseases studied.
advancements were not the only breakthrough treatments in terms Based on this real-world evi-
significant developments in cancer of peoples lives. In economics, val- dence, the Alliance for the Adop-
care. Even as researchers and on- ue is defined as the measure of the tion of Innovations in Medicine
cologists celebrated the rapid surge benefit of a good or service,not (Aimed Alliance) concurs with
in the number of increasingly pre- the actual price. Therefore, health the views of cancer advocates
cise anticancer therapeutics, ad- economists define the value of that patients will be best served
vocates were sounding the alarm medicines as the health outcomes by definitions of value that put
over so-called value frameworks achieved such as extra years of patients treatment needs ahead
that may narrow treatment options life, higher quality of life and fewer of dollars and cents. Otherwise,
for patients. Intended to assess the costly hospitalizations, invasive scientists will still get to celebrate
cost-effectiveness of new thera- medical procedures, and doctors the exciting breakthroughs in
pies, five such value assessment visits per dollar spent. cancer drug discovery. However,
tools were either introduced or in Applying this definition, inno- restrictive value assessments are
development in 2015, mostly for vative medicines provide increas- likely to keep many patients from
newly approved oncology drugs. ing measurable value to patients, gaining access to these medicines.
THROUGH POLITICS lower cancer mortality rates versus their lower spend-
ing counterparts. Countries that increased spending
There is a grave disconnect between medical science the most had a 17 percent decrease in mortality, compared
and government policy. On a national level, closing to eight percent in the countries with the lowest growth
that gap certainly seems to be a bridge too far, in cancer spending. This demonstrates the link between
but on a state level, we are making connections higher cancer spending and lower mortality rates and is
bi-partisan connections - to achieve what we call a testament to the importance in investing in healthcare
the right treatment, for the right patient, right now. Politicians of all stripes should work together to
By JONATHAN WILCOX
help ensure that patients receive the benefits of the
Policy Director and Co-Founder, Patients Rising breakthrough therapies they need. And at the state
W
level theyve shown us they can do just that.
hen it comes to the science of cancer, Over the past several years, policymakers in 39
important discoveries are occurring in states and Washington D.C. have voted yes for pro-pa-
every area of research. Perhaps one of tient policies that would eliminate an outdated practice
the most promising is the excitement that required larger out-of-pocket payments for pills
over new immunotherapies that train a patients im- and capsules to treat cancer, while providing larger
mune system to directly seek and destroy the cancer. reimbursement for a needle stuck in the patients arm.
Another exciting advance is the increasing ability to That made no sense, but its a battle were still fighting.
target therapies to the unique molecular and genetic And thats just the beginning.
characteristics of each specific cancer. In just one sub- For example, in California late last year, the legis-
set of lung cancer alone, as many as 15 genetic altera- lature passed a law allowing a way around so-called
tions have been identified, and for each of them specific step-therapy. Thats where insurance policies require
treatments have been approved or are in development. patients to take an older, cheaper drug first. The bills
Yet, for cancer patients, developing new immune author said in some instances patients have to try five
therapies or targeted treatments is not enough. They different medications, and then fail on them all be-
need access to these life-saving discoveries. The problem fore theyre allowed to get the therapeutic their doc-
is, ready access to effective new therapies is not assured. tor prescribed. And whats most exciting to us, this
When breakthrough cancer therapies reach the legislative achievement was the result of a bi-partisan
U.S. market, tens of thousands of cancer patients are effort to provide a way out of this practice.
confronted with rising copays, restricted coverage As a nonprofit organization working to improve
and all too often, insurance practices that deny ac- access to effective cancer care, Patients Rising be-
cess completely. Adding to these barriers, now there lieves patients should not be forced to fight the system
are so-called value frameworks that rate cancer and their cancer at the same time. We call on legis-
therapies against an arbitrary and often irrelevant lators and regulators to work together with patients,
monetary benchmark. We call that the original sin caregivers and physicians to provide faster and easier
of public policy. And its downright frightening. access to the latest medications and do so in a re-
Remember, many of these cancer mutations involve sponsible manner that prioritizes patient safety and
small groups of patients, sometimes as little as one per- the integrity of new drug evaluations.
cent of patients within that subtype. But it costs as much Its time for national policies and every business
to develop, test and approve targeted treatments for the and industry involved with healthcare to agree: The
one percent as for blockbuster treatments where the right patient should have access to the right medicine
costs can be spread across tens of millions of patients. at the right time.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 1
5 BIOTECHNOLOGY ON CONTACT US!
ZERO DOLLARS A DAY We invite letters & opinions from all of our global readers.
BY JEREMY ABBATE, MIKE MAY
WRITE US AT: 2016
& YALI FRIEDMAN
saworldview@sciam.com
6 TECH MESSAGING
To demystify the ways biotechnology
benefits us all, the industry needs to start
talking BY BILL CANNON
12 SOCIAL REALISM
The pitfalls and payoffs of embracing
social media BY MICHELLE GALLAHER
14 CHANGING LANES
Companies thrive when workers are
willing to give up their comfort zones
and learn from each other BY ERIC BENDER
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD
20 A GUIDED TOUR
Enhanced with a new guidebook
and region-specific ratings, the 2016
Scorecard ventures deeper than ever
to track down the latest in biotech
innovation
34 worldVIEWguide
Biotechnology briefings on each
Scorecard country
64 ON THE UPSWING
A surge in biotechnology market
capitalization and the number of
public firms worldwide
66 CHANGING HUBS
Pharmaceutical R&D sprouts
secondary centers of collaboration
66 VYING FOR
VENTURE CAPITAL
As in many other businesses, no risk
in biotechnology means no reward
68 A LATIN AMERICAN
MINI-SCORECARD
In Central and South America, more
data shake up the rankings
74 A MOONSHOT
BOARD OF ADVISERS
FOR THE MIND
GEORGE BAEDER
Director, China Global Insight A conversation with former U.S.
JORGE BARRERO Representative, and recent transplant to
Deputy to the President,
Spanish Association of Biotechnology New Jersey, Patrick J. Kennedy on how
MARY BOOTE his One Mind foundation takes aim
CEO, Global Farmer Network
at brain disease
STEVEN CASPER
Henry E. Riggs Professor of Management,
Keck Graduate Institute 76 BIOTECH SUPPORT
ANANDA CHAKRABARTY
Distinguished University Professor, Kathleen Coviello on the New Jersey
University of Illinois at Chicago Economic Development Authoritys
JOSEPH DAMOND
Senior Vice President, International Affairs, BIO commitment to cultivating a vibrant
NINA DUDNIK biotechnology sector
Founder and CEO, Seeding Labs
RICHARD GALLAGHER
President and Editor-in-Chief, Annual Reviews 76 BORN TO RUN
ANITA GOEL
Chairman and CEO, Nanobiosym
Fledgling biotechs get a running start at
BOB HARIRI
New Jerseys Commercialization Center
Chairman, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics for Innovative Technologies
KAREN M. HAUDA
Senior Director, Regulatory Policy, Novo Nordisk
ROBERT KILPATRICK
President and CEO, Health Innovation for People 78 PRACTICING MEDICINE
GANESH KISHORE
CEO, Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund To ensure patients receive the best
TOMASZ MROCZKOWSKI emergency treatment as quickly
Professor, Department of International Business, Kogod
School of Business, American University
as possible, a simulation center in
ANDREW POWELL Parsippany takes acute and intensive
CEO, Asia Biobusiness care to the next level
STEVE SAMMUT
Senior Fellow, Health Care Management,
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
RAM SASISEKHARAN
Alfred H.CasparyProfessor of Biological Engineering
80 LAB PARTNERS
& Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Using mobile programs and its innovative
Institute ofTechnology
laboratory, Students 2 Science is on a
mission to inspire young people to pursue
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN PUBLISHING STAFF life science careers
President | STEVEN INCHCOOMBE
Executive Vice President | MICHAEL FLOREK
81 HOBOKEN HOTBED
Executive VP, Global Advertising
& Sponsorship | JACK LASCHEVER Stevens Institute of Technology is molding
Marketing Director | DIANE SCHUBE tomorrows biotechnology innovators in a
VP, Consumer Marketing | CHRISTIAN DORBANDT
pioneering, creative environment
Production Manager | CHRISTINA HIPPELI
Prepress & Quality Manager | SILVIA DE SANTIS
Production Controller | MADELYN KEYES-MILCH WORLDVIEWPOINT
Business Managers | PAIGE KISS | NICHOLAS WILSON
CONTENTS 3
SCIENTISTS HELPING SCIENTISTS.
At Covance, we help move science forward. Your science. As your
research partner, we act as an extension of your team, providing the deep
scientific expertise and unique perspectives that have helped deliver
over a third of all the therapies on the market today. From custom assays
to unique insights on helping reduce timelines and regulatory hurdles,
Covance scientists are your scientists too. Come discover more about our
experienced researchers and scientific experts.
Covance Inc., headquartered in Princeton, NJ, USA, is the drug development business of Laboratory
Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp). COVANCE is a registered trademark and the
marketing name for Covance Inc. and its subsidiaries around the world. Copyright 2016. Covance Inc.
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
I
n the 1950s, Arthur Frommer crisis visited their own families (page the industry requires international
indelibly changed Americans 10). Furthering the theme of user knowledge. He writes: Biotechnol-
traveling habits when he pub- engagement, Michelle Gallaher un- ogy educators emphasize the need
lished Europe on 5 Dollars a Day. covers how one of todays most pow- to keep in mind country-by-country
Beyond giving would-be tourists erful communication toolssocial issues within a global industry.
new ideas for ways to keep an mediais introducing many more One thing that concerns everyone
exciting trip inexpensive, From- audiences to the wonders and poten- in the biotechnology sectorin fact,
mer delivered information that was tial of bioscience (page 12). scientists around the worldis the crisis
hard to find from any other source. To keep pushing ahead, however, in the reproducibility of research. So
In a similar vein, the 2016 edition the industry must keep educating we asked five experts: In your opinion,
of Scientific American Worldview in- and training a strong workforce. Eric how bad is the problem of reproduc-
troduces the worldVIEWguide (page Bender looks at a range of todays ibility in scientific research and what
34), providing an in-depth explora- training programs, describing both should be done about it? This years
tion of global biotechnology; and best their strengths and weaknesses (page worldVIEWpoint (page 82) reveals
of all, its freeavailable 365 days a 14). He reports that education in their unique, thoughtful answers.
year for zero dollars. We hope that Each year, we delve deeper into
this guidebook changes how entre- The worldVIEWGuide [is] an the many facets of international bio-
preneurs and scientists, government in-depth exploration of global technology and find new ways to de-
officials and investors, media profes- biotechnology; and best of all, pict our findingsall spawned from
sionals and policy analysts, and oth- the single goal of taking the annual
its freeavailable 365 days
ers see biotechnologys burgeoning pulse of this field. That pulse, just
or bustling sites around the world. It
a year for zero dollars. like a persons, arises from a wide
includes a deep dive into the Scientific range of components, and some can
American Worldview Scorecard (page be quantified better than others. So
20) for all 54 countries measured, we dig up the data, interview the ex-
plus other data elements, including a perts, mine the archives of articles,
few up-close-and-personal details. and then show you what we found
The Scientific American Worldview all depicted here, in the 2016 Scien-
Scorecard also delivers more data and tific American Worldview.
analysis than ever, including a mini- This could never be attempted
Scorecard highlighting the innovation- without our sponsors and partners
building activity in Latin America Johnson & Johnson, our Marquee
(page 68). Now eight years in on our Sponsor; Celgene Corporation; Invest
journey into life sciences global Victoria; Covance; Merck KGaA,
complexity, we learn more about the Darmstadt, Germany; GlaxoSmith-
health and dynamics of this industry Kline; and the Biotechnology Innova-
with every issue. tion Organizationand we are grate-
In some cases, particularly for ful for their support, encouragement
people who do not work in the field, and shared mission of edifying global
the impact of this industry and its audiences to the ever-changing world
products goes relatively unnoticed, of innovation.
and Bill Cannon explores the depth
of that dilemma and how it might be Sincerely,
solved (page 6). In other cases, every- Jeremy Abbate, Publishing Director
day people get drawn into the world Mike May, Editorial Director
of biotechnology; Renee Morad shows Yali Friedman, Head, Data Analytics
readers how some of them became
activists in the field when a health
ALEX NABAUM
ALEX NABAUM
8 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
sion between the big pharma companies who chemically He holds up Gileads hepatitis C drug Sovaldi as a post-
synthesized drugs, or what we call small molecules, and er child for this misunderstanding: The drug opened the
the biotech companies like Genentech and Amgen. Bio- door for an immense amount of public education about
technology was new then, he says, and there were smaller contracting hepatitis C and why it represents such a prob-
companies. Now those lines have really blurred. lem, what the health consequences for the people affected
Over that time, the larger companies that used to do a are. Instead, he says, theres been no real public dialog
lot of research in-house have come to depend on the bio- about what Sovaldi represents in the way of extraordinary
tech sector to innovate new drugs. Big pharma steps in science and clinically, to say nothing of the fact of what it
later to supervise the regulatory phase, manufacturing and really costs to develop that drug. Most public attention,
marketing, all of which can take years. That means inves- including that from the U.S. Senate, has focused on the
tors in biotech inventions must be patient. Many products drugs price tag.
go bust for the few that succeed, and when one succeeds,
the cost of everythingincluding failureis priced into GO ON THE OFFENSE
the new product. When youre playing defense, its hard to get ahead, says
Wed rather people be aware of what goes into the de- Boote. Its much better to get out in front of the new tech-
velopment of these products, how risky it is, because all nology with trusted and credible voices that not only talk
they see is how expensive the drugs are when they come about how the technology works but also why they use it
out the other end of the pipeline, Damond laments. This and how it impacts each of our lives in a positive way.
makes it difficult for a healthcare consumer to draw the Boote adheres to a simple approach: Provide the informa-
distinction between the high cost baked into the price of a tion, then let the people decide. Its hard to argue against
new drug and price-gouging for old, off-patent drugs. allergenic-free peanuts, for instance, when everyone
knows a child with peanut allergies. Its hard to argue for
ASSAULT ON INNOVATION increased use of pesticides and other agricultural chemi-
The whole concept of innovation is under assault, espe- cals when you can build bug-resistance and soil-conserva-
cially the global patent system, says Stephen M. Sammut, tion characteristics into the genetic makeup of seeds.
senior fellow in healthcare management at the Wharton Boote underscores another point: Dont take the audi-
School of the University of Pennsylvania. We need to edu- ences knowledge of your products for granted. She notes
cate the public about the scientific challenges of biotechnol- examples of companies where executives organize events
ogyand how discoveries translate into clinical advances. to spend time with workers explaining the impact of the
Like Damond, Sammut attributes part of the problem very products they make. There are several companies
to the growing complexity of the biomedicine ecosystem that have thousands of employees working in their offices,
since the birth of biotechnology 40 years ago. In the 1980s, working on that product, who have no idea how that end
companies like Genentech and Amgen, beneficiaries of the product is utilized, she explains.
recombinant DNA they helped pioneer, developed the first If the people working in the industry dont hear it from
productssynthetic insulin and EPOand became Wall the source, theyll do what everyone else does: seek out in-
formation wherever they can find it.
And too often, Boote says sadly, the
biotechnology narrative gets hijacked
The effect can be amplified exponentially on from experts by fear-mongers. The
social media, where who delivers the message is effect can be amplified exponentially
on social media, where who deliv-
as important as the message itself. Mary Boote ers the message is as important as the
message itself, she says. (See Social
Realism, page 12.) Its a place where
Street darlings. Biotech started almost more as an investment television celebrities with a gazillion Twitter followers can
curiosity than an outgrowth of science, Sammut observes. gain acceptance as, for instance, vaccine or nutrition experts.
After those useful drugs came a long series of hype- Those of us in the world of biotechnology have to
and-busts, with one cancer magic bullet drug after an- do a radical reassessment of what were communicating
other fading after showing early promise. At the same and not communicating and how were communicating,
time, the pharmaceutical industry slowly absorbed bio- Sammut explains. As someone who has spent four decades
technology. It has been very frustrating, Sammut says. in the industry, he concludes, we need to be hiring people
People have yet to understand the challenges, risks and a third my age who understand how the younger genera-
rewards of drug and vaccine development. tion thinks.
D
plight of a loved one, went on to enrich A POWERFUL
BY RENEE MORAD the lives of dozens, hundreds, and in ONLINE COMMUNITY
some cases, thousands of individuals In 1999, Jamie Heywood received
octors diagnosed facing similar obstacles. devastating news that his brother
Karen Aiachs Stephen had been diagnosed with
daughter Ornella, ADJUSTING A GENE amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
at just six months Patients with Sanfilippo syndrome The crisis, Heywood says, immedi-
old, with a rare develop mentally and physically up ately brought his already tight-knit
condition called to age four, then lose what they have family together to an amazing level
Sanfilippo syn- learned, while suffering from sleep of closeness and collaboration. His
drome, in which disorders and hyperactivity. The family teamed up in numerous ways
a missing enzyme causes toxic sub- median life expectancy is 15 to 18 to help Stephen face his condition
stances to build up in the body. Aiach years of age. Aiachs initial research and to give him a fighting chance by
began educating herself on every- revealed that few treatments were gaining access to the best doctors.
thing from the diseases symptoms in progress for this syndrome and They also set out on a mission to help
and outlook to its leading physicians that gene therapy would be the most him experience the highest possible
and researchers. With information promising course to take. I set out to quality of life.
so readily available these days, the find a therapeutic approach to the dis- We immediately started building
wall between patient and their care- ease to make life more manageable for things, because thats what my family
givers and doctor is diminishing,
Aiach says. I learned which authors
were publishing research studies and
felt empowered to pick up the phone
When faced with a loved ones difficult
and contact them to learn as much as
I could, as quickly as I could. Aiachs
diagnosis, most people describe feelings
research motivated her to leave her job of being jolted into a race against time.
running a consulting company and
start Lysogene, a biotechnology firm in
France that is currently developing gene my daughter and others struggling does, Heywood says. That meant
therapy to treat Ornellas syndrome and with the syndrome, Aiach says. extensive remodeling projects
other neurodegenerative diseases. Lacking a medical background, which was a passion of Stephensto
When faced with a loved ones dif- Aiach hired a key neurobiologist and keep him motivated and thriving.
ficult diagnosis, most people describe other staff members to help lead the It meant founding the ALS Therapy
feelings of being jolted into a race way. Just a few years after the com- Development Institute, the worlds
against time. I recently caught up with panys launch in 2009, Lysogene con- first nonprofit biotechnology com-
a group of entrepreneurs who have all ducted Phase I/Phase II clinical trials pany, dedicated to ALS treatment. It
lived through this experience and gone of an experimental treatment. The also meant starting PatientsLikeMe,
on to create remarkable biotech com- genetic therapy has gone on to make an online network where individuals
panies to improve outcomes for their a positive impact on Ornellas day- share information about their illness-
SASHIMI
family members and others. Con- to-day wellbeing. Shes quieter and es, symptoms, treatments, side effects,
fronted with a life-or-death situation, calmer now, not enduring as severe outlook and more.
RESEARCHING
A VERY RARE DISEASE
Matt Wilsey and his wife Kristen
settled for nothing short of compre-
hensive when tackling their daughter
Graces illness. Wilsey explains that
he and his wife immediately knew
something was wrong at his daugh-
ters birth, due in large part to their
babys floppy and lethargic nature. So
the family traveled around the coun-
try to hear the opinions of top doc-
tors, and had whole genome sequenc-
ing conducted at two different centers
to see if they yielded the same an-
swers. They did, and after some trial
and error, Grace was diagnosed as the
second American and the sixth pa-
tient worldwide to have a rare genetic
disorder known as NGLY1deficiency,
which causes severe brain, liver and
muscle problems.
To advance treatment for their
daughters disease, the Wilseys start-
ed the Grace Science Foundation,
and soon plan to launch a for-profit
biotech company with a global team
Launched in 2006 as a virtual and analyzing patient-reported data of 75 researchers. Instead of sit-
community for people with ALS, to aid in drawing big-picture con- ting back and waiting while a large
PatientsLikeMe later expanded to clusions about drug safety. In this pharmaceutical company keeps this
include patients with other condi- community, patients are empowered disorder as number 1,000 on a list of
tions, such as multiple sclerosis, to share everything thats worked, potential diseases to address, we de-
Parkinsons disease, chronic fatigue everything that hasnt worked, their cided that if we have the bandwidth,
syndrome, epilepsy and organ trans- best advice and their biggest fears resources and scientific chops, we can
plantation. Today its successes range and it all comes together to provide a get to work and perhaps explore part-
from singular victorieslike con- very powerful platform for patients, nering with a larger company in the
necting a patient with epilepsy with Heywood says. Its about gathering future, Wilsey says.
an epileptologist who was able to experiences and data that can help ac- In this way, the Wilseys hope to
provide life-changing treatmentto celerate research and provide better bring new options to Grace and to pa-
large-scale projects, such as gathering treatments. Theres also that sense tients like her around the globe.
A
social media BY MICHELLE GALLAHER ments to the company Facebook page when they have
criticisms or complaints. Admedus recently blocked and
biotech company can only call itself deleted comments from a follower who had made a habit
innovative once it has mastered so- of personally abusing company executives and other fol-
cial media and the Internet of Things. lowers. After a fair warning by the Admedus Facebook
Forever changed by major advances community manager, an attempt to take the discussion
like systems biology and CRISPR-Cas, offline and reference to the house rules, the offender was
biotechnology is being further trans- blocked and his comments deleted. The tip here is: Create
formed by everyday objects imbued and publish house rules that dictate behavior, give peo-
with smart technology. With the del- ple a fair warning if they cross a line, and dont put up with
uge of cutting-edge social media tools currently available, abuse. On the other hand, dont be afraid of negative com-
all those involved in the biotech communityinvestors, ments; leave them on your company Facebook page and
patients, politicians, scientists, clinical-trial volunteers and respond to them quickly and in as much detail as possible.
journalistsneed to find new ways to make better use of the Transparency is very attractive, and it models behavior for
unprecedented amount of information now at our fingertips. followers, letting them know that the page is actively man-
Medical technology, particularly digital health, is way aged and fair comment is encouraged.
out in front of biotechnology in its understanding of how to
use social media. The hashtag #digitalhealth is consistently EMPOWERING THE PEOPLE
the number one trending regular hashtag according to Sym- To support a friend who is undergoing immunotherapy for
plur, an analysis site that tracks social media conversations stage IV melanoma, she and I both turned to Facebook to re-
in healthcare. The hashtag #pharma comes in seventh, while search and share information about the side effects she was
#biotech doesnt even make the top 10. Clearly, the business- experiencing with a new drug. We engaged with patient sup-
es and individuals comprising the biotech sector have a way port groups, physicians and scientists from across the globe
to go in harnessing the full power of social media. (See Top late one night, and we are now heavily invested in some
NEIL WEBB
7 Reasons That Biotechnology Should Get Social.) wonderful patient support groups. In fact, patients are turn-
Some biotech companies are ahead of the curve. Ad- ing to social media and digital platforms more than ever for
medus, an Australian firm that I follow closely, has a therapeutic support, treatment suggestions and information
TOP 7 REASONS 4. Alert your networks very high-profile breaches have been
BIOTECHNOLOGY to newsworthy events. publicized, with companies being put
SHOULD GET SOCIAL Journalists and politicians are all on into trading halts and competitors
social media, with the exception of a gaining an advantage because key in-
1. Access the worlds largest few dinosaurs. As technology contin- formation was inadvertently disclosed.
focus group and listen for value. ues to reshape the way news outlets
Monitoring social media can trans- deliver news, journalists find them- 6. Improve healthcare outcomes.
form the millions of posts by patients selves in an increasingly precarious Social media is awash with medi-
and caregivers into valuable insights position. Consequently, many report- cal and scientific misinformation.
that can form the basis for a success- ers are turning to social media to Scientists, physicians, pharmaceuti-
ful marketing strategy. By listening invest in their own brand and build cal companies and biotechnology
to patients and healthcare providers, dedicated followers as an insurance companies have so much to gain by
developers can identify unmet needs policy against an unstable work envi- utilizing the power of social media
and market opportunities. ronment. They are hungry for stories to educate, inform and influence. If
to share, and social media is a very authoritative voices are not on social
2. Keep your investors informed. effective mechanism for building re- media, the lunatic fringe will fi ll the
Companies that genuinely commit to lationships and selling story ideas. void. Educating patients and raising
updating shareholders will be using Politicians are not so different from awareness of treatment options, trials
social media for investor relations. journalists; they too are constantly and current thinking are some of the
Publically listed companies should be searching for ways to connect with most compelling reasons for biotech-
monitoring social media, actively pro- their communities, and social media nology and pharmaceutical compa-
moting and protecting their brand, is a great way of highlighting issues nies to embrace social media.
managing reputation risk and identi- that attract support. Bloggers are also
fying and correcting false statements. major news providers and are aston- 7. Raise capital.
ishingly influential with investors Social media is not a capital-raising
3. Recruit for clinical trials. and journalists. If bloggers are not on silver bullet, and anyone who says so
Read anything about the future of your media distribution list for press is nave, misled or just plain lying.
clinical trials and social media will be releases, they should be. Nonetheless, social media is the foun-
cited as the key to success in three crit- dation for crowdfunding, which is a
ical areas: recruitment, retention and 5. Protect intellectual property. lifeline for start-ups across the globe,
confidentiality. Meeting recruitment Patients are quick to share health in- drawing larger and larger amounts
deadlines is one of the biggest con- formation, including their experiences each year from increasingly ambi-
cerns for biotechnology companies, in clinical trials, which has become a tious campaigns.
and social media can recruit faster, major issue for biotechnology compa-
more efficiently and with greater accu- nies. CROs and clinical trial sites need Michelle Gallaher (@StartupShelley) is
racy. Social-media advertising is cru- to ensure that volunteers understand the cofounder and creative director of The
Social Science (@thesocialsci), which helps
cial to recruiting, so its worth reading their obligations concerning disclo- companies make the most of social media,
up on this one, as all trial recruiters are sure of details on social media of their and cofounder of Women in Science Australia
going to need to be experts to survive. clinical trial experiences. A number of (@WomenSciAUST).
I
t takes a village of varied talents to raise a suc- ogy, these things are all incredibly integrated. You really
cessful biotechnology firm, and it helps when cannot think about intellectual property without consider-
the villagers speak each others languages. Sci- ing patent protection, without considering regulatory impli-
entists and engineers often work directly on cations, without considering reimbursement, and all of those
teams with other employees who lack a strong have significant implications for your market strategy.
science background, and this collaboration is While such courses focus on a wide breadth of business
easier when everyone knows a little about each components for company leadership, Sammut and other
others professional challenges and how to discuss them. training veterans emphasize that all employees in biotech-
More broadly, a company works together better when ev- nology can benefit from interdisciplinary knowledgees-
eryones contributions to its mission are better understood. pecially when they can pick it up directly from those work-
Achieving this level of understanding doesnt always ing in the other disciplines.
come easy. Non-technical staff might easily be bewildered
by the overwhelming complexity and quick advances in TEACHING THE NON-TECHNICAL
todays biomedical research. Scientists and engineers, in If the last time people studied biology and chemistry was
turn, may have little experience in talking and collaborat- in high school, they really need to become more familiar
ing with a diverse group of employees in finance, informa- with the process and the vocabulary of biochemistry and
tion technology, marketing or manufacturing. The tech- molecular biology, says Sammut. Those are very impor-
nical staff could also be thoroughly unfamiliar with the tant and hard-earned disciplines. Youre not going to pick
rapidly evolving world of biotechnology-related business- them up overnight. But having said that, you have to start
es, such as the pharmaceutical industry and clinical care. somewhere. He suggests that those seeking to boost their
These gaps call for cross-disciplinary education, either on scientific literacy check out the programs for non-scien-
the job or in more formal training, says Stephen Sammut, tists offered by BIO and other groups.
a venture capitalist focusing on healthcare in emerging If you can free yourself up to go to one of these two- to
markets and a senior fellow in healthcare management at three-day programs, accidentally or purposely leave your
the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in cellphone at home, do the pre-reading assignments and re-
Philadelphia. ally open your mind, you can get comfortable with a lot
A certain level of scientific literacy is required, but so is of concepts relatively quickly, he says. It doesnt mean
literacy in other areas, particularly for those in leadership that you can develop any kind of scientific judgement but
roles, Sammut says. The Biotechnology Entrepreneurship it may get you to the point where you can formulate ques-
Boot Camp, which has taken place for 11 years at the an- tions, or at least sit down with an expert in the field and
nual meeting of the Biotechnology Innovation Organiza- talk about what needs clarification.
tion (BIO), displays the breadth of business literacy issues Another good option for people entering the indus-
facing biotechnology firms. The two-day training program try without much science exposure is to take the free and
covers opportunity assessment, pitching investors, capi- high-quality online courses given by organizations such
talization, partnering, market strategies, pricing and re- as edX and Coursera, suggests Steve Casper, dean of the
imbursement strategies, regulatory planning, intellectual School of Applied Life Sciences at the Keck Graduate In-
property, team-building, corporate social responsibility stitute (KGI) in Claremont, California.
MICHAEL AUSTIN
and even bioethics, among other topics. Although previous science experience probably helps
Whether you come from a scientific or a business back- anyone employed in biotechnology, its not a requirement
ground, the learning challenge is integrating all of this, for most of those who work outside the labs, says Karen
says Sammut, cofounder of the Boot Camp. In biotechnol- Anderson, senior vice president for human resources at
Melbourne is recognised for its world Adding to a list of major infrastructure Melbourne has a fast and favourable
leading capabilities in: already located in Melbourne, the Victorian clinical trial regulatory environment existing
Comprehensive Cancer Centre, has within a robust national framework. The
infectious disease and immunology;
recently been completed. It is a new expected regulatory pathway, the Clinical
cancer; US$750 million purpose-built facility for Trials Notification scheme, provides for
neurology; cancer research, treatment, education and the initiation of first-in-human clinical trials
regenerative medicine; care and brings together ten-world leading without need for filing of an IND.
drug candidate identification cancer organisations to share knowledge
and optimisation and medicinal and resources and drive the next
chemistry; and generation of cancer research, treatment
high quality clinical trials. and care.
2
reputation as a vibrant destination for
global biotechnology companies. It oers Australia has one of the most
an attractive low risk, high quality and generous R&D tax incentive in
competitive business environment as a the world as rated by KPMG
3
gateway to Asia. Melbourne attracts more than
40 per cent of Australian medical
research funding
Melbourne has a fast and
favourable clinical trial regulatory 4 Has a central system for rapid ethical
and scientic approval of multi-site
clinical trials
environment existing within
a robust national framework. 5 Melbourne was voted the worlds
most liveable city for the 5th year
in a row
Contact
Mr Nathan Elia
Biotechnology, Life Science and Medical Technology Manager
Victorian Government Business Oce New York
Tel: +1 617 6789 770 Fax: +1 212 573 957
Email: Nathan.elia@ecodev.vic.gov.au
Website: www.invest.vic.gov.au
20 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN | WORLDVIEW
A GUIDED TOUR
Enhanced with a new guidebook and region-specific ratings, the 2016 Scorecard
ventures deeper than ever to track down the latest in biotech innovation
E
very year, we seek to broaden and deepen Enterprise Support, Education/Workforce, Foundations, and
the ways in which the Scientific American Policy & Stability. Composed of 27 components, these categories
Worldview Scorecard explores biotechnology include gross and relative measurements. This strategy allows
around the globe. In our 2016 Scorecard, we each countrys absolute performance to play a role in determining
crank up the coverage in two ways. First, we its Scorecard position, while giving comparative measurements
present our worldVIEWguidea biotechnol- some influence as well. Our methodology assesses fundamental
ogy guidebook that provides Scorecard data, elements of each nation, such as political environment and educa-
basic statistics and added insight for each tion, as well as factors directly involved in innovation output, like
of the 54 countries coveredproviding an IP and public-company performance. To quantify the information,
easy way for readers to delve into each na- we rank each countrys performance in the individual components
tions performance and see how it stacks up on a scale from 0 to 10, with the lowest-ranked country scored as
against others. Second, we add a mini-Scorecard focused on Latin 0 and the highest-ranked one as 10. To assign a rating for each
America. Here, we compare countries in this region independent category, we calculate the mean score from the components. (For
of the larger Scorecard, allowing us to use a different methodology detailed methods, see page 28.)
and avoid problems with integrating countries for which we have In addition to the rankings presented in the Scientific American
very different data points. This introduces a form of analysis that Worldview Scorecard and the worldVIEWguide, we shine a light
we plan to apply to other regions in future editions. on many other exciting quantitative developments taking place
For the heart of the Scorecard, we employ our traditional in biotechnology today. For instance, this year New Zealand and
methodology that relies on diverse metrics to gauge global Spain join the list of nations with publicly traded biotech firms.
innovation in biotechnology. We analyze seven categories In the pages ahead, we highlight a host of other surprising and
Productivity, Intellectual Property (IP) Protection, Intensity, dynamic movements afoot in the global biotechnology scene.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 21
CATEGORY #1 PRODUCTIVITY traded companies in a country and how
The United States remains the they perform serves as an indicator of the
output powerhouse health of its overall business environment.
In contrast, its difficult to gain much insight
M
any of the Scorecard metrics from private-company data, since starting a
infrastructure quality, enter- private biotech can be as simple as register-
prise support and so onmea- ing a business name with the local govern-
sure a countrys biotechnology ment offices, whereas the requirements for
innovation inputs. At the end of the day, public listing are far more extensive.
biotech is a business, and if you were to The established leader in this cat-
use a single metric to evaluate a nations egoryby a large marginis the United
strength in biotechnology, it would be States. Australia and the United Kingdom
gross productivity. We measure productiv- follow in second and third place, as they
0.66
ity here with two metrics: Publicly traded have for many years. (For in-depth cover-
company revenues and the number of pub- age of trends for publicly listed biotechnol-
0.95
licly traded companies (Morrison, C. & Lh- ogy companies, see page 64.)
UNITED KINGDOM
10.0
0.47
AUSTRALIA
CANADA
CATEGORY #2
elements, and the Scorecard considers
both. For an objective measurement, we
IP PROTECTION use a study (Park, W.G. Research Policy
Finland maintains control of 37, 761766 (2008)) that explores five
innovations keystone measurements: patentable inventions,
membership in international treaties,
W
e are committed to extending duration of protection, enforcement
lifesaving medical technologies mechanisms, and restrictions. For a subjec-
and addressing unmet medical tive measurement, we turn to another
needs in developing countries study (Schwab, K. The Global Competitive-
around the world, declares a Johnson & ness Report, 20142015. World Economic
Johnson website. We believe that the best Forum (2014)), compiled from the opinions
way to address these needs is for companies of business leaders about their perceptions
to work with local governments to develop of domestic IP protection.
approaches that benefit all involved parties, In combining these two metrics, we
while continuing to uphold the value of IP in find that Finland leads the category, as it
all parts of the world. Beyond the invaluable did in 2015. And just behind it, the United
goal of saving lives, incentives for discovering States moved from eighth in 2015 to
FINLAND
UNITED STATES
new biotechnology applications are driven by second this year. Ireland also rose up the
NETHERLANDS
confidence in strong IP protection. Without ranks, from tenth to fifth. To stay competi-
it, far fewer scientists would take the risks tive, a country must hold biotechnologys
JAPAN
IRELAND
I
f IP Protection is the keystone support- (filed with the Patent Cooperation Treaty)
ing the pieces of a nations biotechnol- and business expenditures on biotechnol-
ogy sector, Intensity is the combination ogy R&D came from the Organisation for
of focus, diligence, tools and commit- Economic Co-operation and Development
ment of the team putting them together. (OECD). Value added of knowledge- and
This category consists of measurements technology-intensive industries was sourced
adjusted for population size and economy, from the U.S. National Science Foundation
so that countries large and small can com- (NSF)s Science and Engineering Indicators.
pete equally. The leaders in this race provide On a six-year run at the top of this
the best settings for biotechnology growth, category, Denmark remains the Scorecards
because they emphasize it the most. Intensity leader. Its neighbors in the top
6.36
4.84
Intensity involves data from a variety threethe United States and Australia
5.14
3.76
of sources, including publicly traded biotech also earn a three-peat, having held the
7.28
UNITED STATES
firms (Morrison, C. & Lhteenmki, R. top spots in this category since 2014. Last
NEW ZEALAND
Nat. Biotechnol. 33, 703709 (2015), and year, Spain displaced Singapore for fourth
SINGAPORE
AUSTRALIA
DENMARK
company disclosures). The publicly traded place, due to a surge in the proportion of
biotechnology company employees per biotechnology patent applications filed
capita component is calculated by dividing there, and this year New Zealand displaced
employee counts by the countrys population Spain for the same reason.
CATEGORY #4
ENTERPRISE SUPPORT
Asian countries dominate the top five
E
nterprise Supports Big Five includes three Asian nationsSingapore, Hong Kong
and Malaysiaplus nearby New Zealand. This synergy suggests the region is ready
to expand its biotech activities, having already established itself as a great place
to do business. When a country is weak in Enterprise Support, it becomes so dif-
ficult to start and grow a company there that it diminishes the value of other factors that
may be supportive of biotech.
This category consists of four elements. We derived the business-friendly environ-
ment measurement from Doing Business 2015 (World Bank and the International Finance
Corporation). This report surveyed local experts on a synthetic business casean ap-
proach that does present limitations, as it is restricted to a single example of a specified
size and refers to conducting business in a countrys largest city, with the exception of
certain nations such as China. The biotechnology venture capital component is drawn
UNITED STATES 8.93
7.86
HONG KONG 8.60
from measurements from the OECD. The venture capital availability score comes from
SINGAPORE 9.23
MALAYSIA 7.96
20152016. World Economic Forum (2015)). The last metric, capital availability, was
derived from the Milken Institute Capital Access Index.
For the past three years, Singapore, the United States and Hong Kong have swapped
spots back and forth at the top of this category. This year and last, however, Singapore
captured the top spot, followed by the United States and Hong Kong.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 23
CATEGORY #5
EDUCATION/WORKFORCE
In this extremely technical industry, people remain the key ingredient
W
hat matters most in this industry is its people. Those words, from Stephen
M. Sammut, senior fellow in healthcare management at the Wharton School
of the University of Pennsylvania (Biotechnologys Crucial Question,
Scientific American Worldview, 2015), should be a mantra for anyone hoping
to thrive in the biotech arena. Its common sense that a country lacking workers trained in
biotechnology has little chance of becoming a leader in the field.
We base this category of the Scorecard on five components. To determine post-
secondary science graduates per capita, we used UNESCO figures, divided by the
population (U.S. Census Bureau International Database). For Ph.D. graduates in the
life sciences per capita and R&D personnel per thousand employment, we turned to
OECD figures. To create a metric for talent retention, we calculated the percentage of a
A
fter a four-year reign at the head ditures per GDP. Our gross expenditures
of the Foundations category, on R&D per GDP metric was drawn from
Finland slips to secondedged UNESCO data. For information on infra-
out by South Korea. In 2015, structure quality, we turned to the World
South Korea finished a close second in this
metric, and was in third place in 2014. So,
step by step, South Koreas steady progress
When it comes to building
in this area has led it to the top. an international reputation
When it comes to building an inter- as a nurturing home for
national reputation as a nurturing home innovative biotechnology,
for innovative biotechnology, the factors
measured in Foundations play a key role.
the factors measured in
Reflected here are important issues, like Foundations play a key role.
the quality of a nations infrastructure
roads and ports and so on. No firm wants Economic Forum (Schwab, K. The Global
to do business in a country where these Competitiveness Report, 20152016. World
elements are subpar. The category also Economic Forum (2015)), which uses an
considers the percentage of business and international survey to produce its index.
SWITZERLAND 8.04
8.31
government spending that goes to R&D, Last, we derived the component innova-
which indicates the financial foundation of tion and entrepreneurship opportunity
8.16
SOUTH KOREA
SWEDEN 7.89
the industry. We include numbers on R&D from the 2015 Legatum Prosperity Index.
JAPAN 7.85
rics, such as infrastructure quality, because last metric tend to encourage research-
R&D can plant the seeds for future growth. ers to spin off ventures to pursue these
Many interesting opportunities present opportunities.
LUXEMBOURG 4.64
their native country. India and China have traditionally led in the brain-drain metric,
AUSTRALIA 5.34
with more than 90% of Ph.D. graduates not wishing to repatriate after their studies
in the United States. Last year, Ukraine had the highest level of brain drain, but this
year it shares third place with Russia.
The same countries make up this years top five in Education/Workforce as last year,
and the top three remain in the same order, with the United States at the top. The only
top-five difference is that Australia leapfrogged Luxembourg to land in fourth place.
CATEGORY #7
A
lawless country is a bad place to do business, no matter how enticing its other
perks might appear, while a dependable and predictably safe environment
attracts many entrepreneurs. Security is among the qualities explored in our
Policy & Stability category.
To assess each nation, we used the following measurements from the World Banks
World Governance Indicators: political stability and absence of violence/terrorism,
government effectiveness, regulatory quality and rule of law. Taken together, these
components gauge perceptions of the likelihood that the government will be destabilized
or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically-motivated
violence and terrorism. This category also
incorporates perceptions of the quality
Interestingly, a countrys of public and civil services in a country,
Policy & Stability score as well as the governments ability to
does not generally align with formulate and implement sound policies
and regulations.
perceptions about growth.
Last year, Finland, Singapore and
New Zealandin that ordertopped this
SWITZERLAND 9.35
9.44
category. This year Finland drops to third and Singapore and New Zealand advance to
HONG KONG 9.03
SINGAPORE 9.62
first and second place, respectively. Interestingly, a countrys Policy & Stability score does
FINLAND 9.42
NEW ZEALAND
not generally align with perceptions about growth. Countries regarded as having strong
growth potentialfor example, Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs)generally have
low Policy & Stability scores. This illustrates a common theme in business: Opportunities
exist where companies can enter neglected markets and address challenges that have
kept others away.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 25
THE 2016 SCIENTIFIC be analyzed. The results of this analysis As in prior Scientific American
are reflected in the Scorecards in-depth Worldview Scorecards, the United States
AMERICAN WORLDVIEW outputs shown here, which cover seven ranks at the top of the list in overall
OVERALL SCORES categories composed of 27 components. innovationfollowed by Singapore,
T
o build a reliable assessment of in- This table provides an opportunity to dig Denmark, New Zealand and Australia, in
novation potential in biotechnology into the details of the results, includ- that order. The United States, however,
around the worldstretching over 54 ing the compiled scores and ranks. (For only leads in two categories: Productiv-
countrieslarge collections of data must detailed methods, see page 28.) ity and Education/Workforce. Other
RANK 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4
1 UNITED STATES 10.0 10.0 10.0 8.5 4.1 3.6 9.0 5.2 10.0 10.0 8.4 10.0 8.1 9.2 4.4 5.4 10.0 5.3 6.6 8.1 8.6 7.4 7.1 7.1 8.3
2 SINGAPORE 7.0 9.7 7.4 0.1 10.0 8.4 9.3 5.7 7.0 0.7 3.3 4.6 9.7 8.6 9.2 10.0 10.0 9.3
3 DENMARK 0.2 0.3 9.1 7.9 6.2 10.0 10.0 10.0 0.1 0.4 9.1 0.2 2.5 8.2 4.2 2.0 9.3 0.3 5.6 7.1 8.1 9.7 8.4 8.5 8.4 9.9
4 NEW ZEALAND 0.0 0.0 6.1 9.4 9.6 0.1 9.8 6.9 6.9 10.0 10.0 4.5 0.5 1.2 2.8 5.8 8.0 10.0 9.0 9.1 9.7
5 AUSTRALIA 0.5 1.4 6.8 8.5 8.0 4.6 5.2 7.0 0.9 0.0 7.8 0.3 3.8 8.4 7.0 5.8 5.3 5.3 3.4 5.2 5.6 8.5 8.8 7.7 8.9 9.4
6 SWITZERLAND 0.2 0.4 7.5 9.7 5.9 3.2 4.4 4.1 0.3 0.9 6.5 0.3 5.6 8.7 3.6 3.3 7.2 0.6 5.7 6.9 10.0 9.5 9.3 9.7 8.8 9.7
7 FINLAND 0.0 0.1 9.1 10.0 1.6 0.0 0.1 1.1 0.1 0.0 8.1 0.1 8.1 8.3 3.6 2.0 9.0 0.2 6.4 8.0 9.2 9.1 9.4 9.3 9.0 10.0
8 UNITED KINGDOM 0.6 0.8 8.5 9.1 1.6 0.8 3.4 4.1 1.4 8.5 0.8 6.3 9.3 7.6 6.4 5.1 2.3 5.8 2.8 3.7 6.7 9.1 6.9 7.8 8.8 9.2
9 SWEDEN 0.1 0.5 8.5 8.5 6.7 1.1 1.8 2.2 0.3 0.1 8.3 0.5 5.9 8.4 2.5 2.3 7.3 0.4 6.4 7.7 7.5 10.0 8.8 8.4 8.7 9.6
10 CANADA 0.0 0.9 9.1 8.5 3.5 0.2 0.1 3.3 0.8 0.1 7.8 1.0 5.6 10.0 6.4 5.3 4.5 1.6 2.1 3.9 6.9 8.2 9.1 8.3 8.8 9.2
11 HONG KONG 0.1 0.0 5.2 9.1 0.4 1.3 3.2 1.5 8.9 7.5 9.4 2.9 0.3 1.6 9.7 8.7 8.9 8.6 9.5 9.1
12 GERMANY 0.1 0.5 8.3 8.2 0.9 0.3 0.4 1.1 1.6 0.4 7.7 0.6 5.0 6.9 4.8 2.9 6.5 5.1 2.8 5.3 6.7 8.3 8.0 8.4 8.2 8.4 9.1
13 ISRAEL 0.0 0.6 6.6 6.1 10.0 1.1 0.2 6.3 0.1 0.1 4.9 8.1 6.5 4.2 10.0 3.6 0.0 10.0 10.0 3.9 6.2 2.7 6.0 6.9 6.6
14 NETHERLANDS 0.1 0.2 9.1 9.1 1.3 2.1 2.2 4.8 0.4 0.2 6.5 0.2 5.0 8.3 2.6 0.9 6.1 0.8 2.9 4.5 9.4 8.6 8.7 8.6 8.6 9.5
15 JAPAN 0.0 0.2 9.1 9.4 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.7 0.5 6.1 0.1 5.3 6.6 0.9 5.9 5.5 2.0 7.5 7.8 9.2 7.0 8.6 8.5 6.7 8.3
16 IRELAND 0.0 0.1 9.1 8.8 1.8 1.2 0.9 5.9 0.1 0.1 7.5 0.0 4.1 7.7 7.3 4.3 5.0 0.1 3.0 3.6 5.6 8.0 8.8 7.7 8.6 8.9
17 FRANCE 0.2 0.9 9.1 8.5 1.8 1.4 1.3 3.0 1.3 1.2 6.5 0.9 4.7 7.2 5.3 3.0 6.9 2.8 3.7 3.9 5.2 8.3 7.5 6.7 6.9 6.5 7.8
18 AUSTRIA 0.0 0.0 7.5 8.2 0.5 0.1 0.1 2.2 0.1 0.1 7.3 0.0 3.1 6.0 3.3 2.7 6.6 0.8 5.7 6.6 8.6 9.1 9.4 7.6 7.8 9.5
19 NORWAY 0.0 0.1 6.8 8.5 2.5 0.1 0.0 4.1 0.2 0.0 8.2 0.0 7.2 7.6 2.7 1.5 6.3 0.2 2.2 3.7 5.8 9.1 8.9 8.5 8.2 9.8
20 BELGIUM 0.0 0.2 9.1 8.2 2.3 0.7 0.5 7.0 0.2 0.2 5.5 0.2 5.0 6.8 2.4 1.4 6.2 0.6 4.3 5.2 6.9 6.9 7.7 6.9 6.8 8.0
21 LUXEMBOURG 6.7 10.0 4.2 0.0 7.5 0.6 8.7 1.8 2.6 7.5 9.0 9.7 7.9 8.2 9.3
22 ICELAND 3.8 7.0 7.4 3.8 4.1 4.7 7.9 0.0 2.8 5.8 8.6 9.1 9.3 7.3 6.9 8.7
23 TAIWAN, CHINA 0.0 0.1 4.9 6.7 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 7.9 6.9 6.2 2.6 6.4 7.2 7.1 8.0 6.8 7.2 6.9
24 SOUTH KOREA 7.5 3.6 0.7 0.5 0.5 8.9 0.1 2.2 8.1 4.4 3.7 6.8 3.7 0.8 9.3 9.5 7.5 7.0 6.2 6.0 6.6 6.2
25 ESTONIA 6.7 0.0 7.6 5.0 7.0 4.5 2.8 4.0 0.0 2.1 5.0 5.8 6.4 7.9 5.5 8.3 7.5
26 UAE 7.6 0.1 6.3 7.8 6.7 0.7 0.7 1.0 9.7 6.2 8.0 7.2 6.2 5.3
27 MALAYSIA 3.7 7.3 2.2 0.1 7.5 9.1 7.3 3.3 2.1 0.8 2.5 7.5 4.6 6.6 5.9 5.8 5.1
28 QATAR 8.8 0.0 3.5 10.0 0.0 0.1 1.0 7.5 8.6 5.3 5.0 6.3
29 SPAIN 0.0 0.0 7.5 3.0 5.9 0.6 0.3 6.2 0.2 2.5 6.6 3.2 2.5 5.0 3.9 0.7 1.6 2.9 7.8 5.7 6.6 6.0 5.6 6.1
30 CZECH REPUBLIC 7.5 4.8 0.7 0.0 0.0 5.9 0.0 4.4 4.4 4.6 3.0 5.2 0.5 2.7 4.1 5.6 6.2 8.5 5.5 6.4 6.7
31 PORTUGAL 7.7 5.2 0.1 0.0 7.0 0.0 2.8 6.9 3.0 4.6 4.5 0.2 1.6 3.1 7.8 5.5 8.0 5.4 5.6 6.7
32 CHILE 7.3 3.6 0.1 5.1 4.4 5.8 1.9 0.3 0.7 7.4 0.0 0.1 0.7 4.7 5.5 7.1 5.9 7.8 7.7
33 LITHUANIA 6.0 3.3 7.4 3.4 4.8 3.1 3.4 0.0 2.0 5.6 4.2 7.9 5.3 6.9 6.0
34 SLOVAK REPUBLIC 7.0 3.3 0.0 0.0 6.4 3.1 4.1 4.8 4.5 3.0 0.1 0.8 1.8 4.4 5.1 8.6 4.9 6.0 4.6
35 SOUTH AFRICA 7.2 7.3 4.4 0.1 0.0 3.1 3.4 5.3 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.6 1.6 3.9 5.0 5.4 2.8 4.2 3.5
36 POLAND 0.0 0.0 7.0 3.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 4.1 0.1 0.0 6.7 0.0 1.9 2.8 5.2 3.7 2.3 0.3 0.8 2.0 3.3 5.1 8.2 4.7 6.5 5.7
37 HUNGARY 8.3 2.1 3.0 0.0 5.5 0.0 1.6 4.6 2.0 0.9 4.1 0.2 2.6 2.9 5.0 3.8 7.7 3.5 5.6 4.6
38 ITALY 0.0 0.1 9.1 3.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 1.5 0.8 0.1 5.3 0.0 0.6 4.9 2.0 2.8 4.8 3.2 1.0 1.7 2.9 3.3 4.6 7.1 2.9 5.3 4.1
39 LATVIA 3.9 7.2 3.1 3.3 2.9 0.7 2.4 0.0 1.4 5.3 4.9 7.3 5.3 6.8 5.9
40 SAUDI ARABIA 1.4 6.1 0.0 0.1 2.6 5.0 4.8 5.0 1.7 10.0 0.6 0.0 5.6 3.8 4.9 2.3 3.2 3.9
41 CHINA 0.1 0.1 6.4 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.4 2.7 2.5 5.9 5.0 1.9 0.7 1.2 4.4 4.4 4.4 2.9 4.3 2.8 2.5 1.9
42 GREECE 7.4 3.3 0.1 4.2 0.0 0.0 4.2 3.5 0.6 4.9 1.9 0.4 0.4 1.5 3.9 4.1 5.7 3.0 4.3 4.1
43 MEXICO 5.5 2.4 3.3 0.4 0.0 5.8 2.8 3.9 1.0 1.0 0.6 4.5 0.9 3.3 1.2 3.4 2.2 4.6 1.5
44 RUSSIA 4.6 0.0 5.6 0.5 0.0 5.0 2.5 2.7 4.3 0.0 4.8 1.9 2.3 1.7 2.5 3.3 4.6 3.2 1.2 2.0 0.6
45 THAILAND 0.0 0.6 0.1 5.1 4.4 6.1 0.5 8.7 0.8 3.1 2.4 3.0 2.8 4.1 2.5
46 TURKEY 6.1 2.1 0.0 0.3 4.4 1.9 2.8 3.0 1.0 1.8 3.4 0.5 1.0 2.0 5.6 2.0 2.5 3.0 4.5 3.1
47 BRAZIL 4.2 2.1 3.0 0.7 0.9 1.9 3.1 1.2 0.4 0.2 5.1 0.2 2.6 0.0 3.3 5.6 0.9 3.0 2.7
48 PUERTO RICO 4.3 3.0 0.6 0.9 7.8 3.0 5.9 5.6
49 INDIA 0.0 0.0 5.0 3.6 0.0 0.0 0.4 3.0 0.5 0.0 6.6 4.1 0.3 0.0 0.4 1.8 3.1 0.0 2.8 0.7 1.9 2.7
50 PHILIPPINES 6.8 2.7 0.1 1.7 3.8 1.9 0.0 2.8 0.1 1.1 1.3 3.6 2.2 3.2 1.9
51 KUWAIT 2.1 0.0 1.7 3.1 5.5 0.1 0.1 3.3 5.2 6.0 0.9 2.9 3.2
52 INDONESIA 0.5 3.9 0.2 1.1 5.9 1.9 0.7 7.0 0.1 0.0 2.5 0.3 4.6 1.4 3.0 1.8
53 UKRAINE 4.6 0.3 0.0 2.6 1.6 0.0 3.6 1.9 2.0 0.6 1.6 2.5 3.3 0.0 0.0 1.4 0.4
54 ARGENTINA 5.9 0.0 0.1 0.6 0.3 0.2 1.5 0.4 1.6 3.2 0.0 1.2 0.3 3.1 5.9 0.8 0.0 0.0
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 SCORE
10.0 9.2 6.4 8.9 6.6 7.1 7.5 39.8
8.3 3.8 9.2 4.5 6.6 9.6 30.0 CATEGORY QUICK GUIDE
0.2 8.5 7.3 5.0 3.9 7.6 8.8 29.5
0.0 7.7 4.8 7.9 6.2 4.5 9.4 29.0
1.0 7.6 5.1 5.0 5.3 6.4 8.7 28.0 #1 PRODUCTIVITY Publicly traded biotechnology companies and output
0.3 8.6 3.6 5.3 3.7 8.0 9.4 27.7
1.1 Public company revenues (US$mm)
0.0 9.5 0.6 6.1 3.7 8.2 9.4 26.8
0.7 8.8 2.2 6.2 5.4 5.6 8.2 26.5 1.2 Public companies
0.3 8.5 2.4 5.8 3.1 7.9 8.9 26.3 #2 IP PROTECTION Quantitative and qualitative intellectual property protection
0.5 8.8 1.6 6.1 4.4 5.3 8.9 25.3
0.0 7.1 1.6 8.6 1.6 6.7 9.0 24.7 2.1 Patent strength
0.3 8.2 0.8 5.0 4.4 7.1 8.5 24.6 2.2 Perceived IP protection
0.3 6.3 3.5 6.5 4.5 7.5 5.6 24.4
0.1 9.1 2.2 5.0 2.6 6.4 8.9 24.4
#3 INTENSITY Effort in biotechnology innovation
0.1 9.2 0.6 4.5 3.6 7.9 8.0 24.2 3.1 Public companies / million population
0.0 8.9 2.0 4.8 4.2 5.0 8.5 23.9 3.2 Public company employees / capita
0.6 8.8 1.8 4.8 4.3 6.2 7.0 23.9
0.0 7.9 0.6 4.1 3.4 7.5 8.5 22.8
3.3 Public company revenues / $B GDP
0.0 7.6 1.4 5.8 2.7 5.2 8.8 22.6 3.4 Biotech patents / total patents filed with PCT
0.1 8.6 2.2 4.4 2.6 5.8 7.4 22.2 3.5 Value added of knowledge- and technology-intensive industries
8.3 3.9 4.6 5.2 8.8 22.0 3.6 Business expenditures on biotechnology R&D
5.4 5.6 4.2 6.6 8.0 21.3
0.0 5.8 0.1 7.0 2.6 6.9 7.2 21.1 #4 ENTERPRISE SUPPORT Business environment and capital availability
5.6 0.6 4.8 3.9 8.3 6.3 21.0 4.1 Business friendly environment (higher = better)
6.7 6.5 2.8 4.8 7.3 20.1
7.6 0.1 6.9 0.7 5.6 6.7 19.7
4.2 Biotech VC, 2007 ($mm)
5.5 1.1 8.0 2.1 4.9 5.9 19.6 4.3 VC availability
8.8 0.0 6.7 0.0 4.2 6.3 18.6 4.4 Capital availability
0.0 5.3 3.2 3.9 3.1 4.5 6.0 18.6
#5 EDUCATION/WORKFORCE People trained in biotechnology
6.2 0.4 3.7 3.3 4.6 6.8 17.8
6.4 0.1 4.2 3.1 4.5 6.4 17.6 5.1 Post-secondary science graduates / capita
5.5 0.1 5.1 2.0 2.7 7.1 16.1 5.2 Ph.D. graduates in life sciences per million population
4.7 5.2 2.2 3.9 6.5 16.1
5.3 R&D personnel per thousand employment
5.2 0.0 4.5 3.1 3.0 6.0 15.6
7.2 2.3 4.0 0.9 2.8 4.0 15.1 5.4 Talent retention (reciprocal of brain drain)
0.0 5.0 0.9 2.8 2.9 2.8 6.2 14.8 5.5 Brain gain (share of global students studying outside their country)
5.2 1.5 2.9 1.8 3.6 5.4 14.5
#6 FOUNDATIONS Infrastructure and R&D drivers
0.0 6.2 0.5 2.7 2.8 3.1 4.8 14.4
3.9 4.5 1.5 3.9 6.3 14.3 6.1 Business expenditures on R&D (% of GDP)
3.8 0.0 4.1 4.3 3.1 3.6 13.5 6.2 Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)
0.1 4.7 0.6 4.5 1.3 4.0 2.9 12.9
6.3 Infrastructure quality (roads, ports, electricity, etc.)
5.4 0.1 2.1 2.3 2.5 4.3 11.8
4.0 1.9 4.2 1.8 1.8 2.9 11.7 6.4 Entrepreneurship and opportunity
2.3 3.0 3.4 2.7 3.0 1.8 11.5 #7 POLICY & STABILITY Government control
0.3 0.1 5.2 4.6 2.1 3.1 10.9
4.1 0.1 3.0 1.9 2.6 3.3 10.8 7.1 Political stability and absence of violence/terrorism
3.2 1.8 2.0 1.4 1.9 3.1 9.5 7.2 Government effectiveness
4.3 1.8 0.9 5.6 9.0 7.3 Regulatory quality
0.0 4.3 0.8 3.5 0.2 1.6 2.0 8.9
4.8 0.1 2.4 1.4 0.8 2.7 8.7
7.4 Rule of law
2.1 0.0 3.4 0.1 2.9 3.2 8.4
2.2 0.2 3.0 2.6 0.9 2.7 8.2
2.4 0.0 1.4 2.0 2.5 0.4 6.3
3.0 0.1 0.4 1.7 1.1 1.7 5.7
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 27
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN WORLDVIEW SCORECARD METHODOLOGY
T
his Scorecard evaluates 54 countries category and the sources of data. The overall innovation score is a sum
on their innovation potential in For each component, countries are of the category averages, indexed to a
biotechnology through a meta-anal- ranked on a scale from 0 to 10, with score from 0 to 50. The normalization
ysis. The analysis includes 27 components the lowest-ranked scored as 0 and the involved in calculating the category and
arranged in seven categories: Productivity, highest-ranked as 10. A nations score in a overall scores considers each component
Intellectual Property (IP) Protection, Inten- category is derived from the average of the and each category on equal weighting.
sity, Enterprise Support, Education/Work- available component scoresany gaps in Thus, the Scorecard gives the same impor-
force, Foundations, and Policy & Stability. the individual components were ignored in tance to all components.
The table shows the components of each calculating the averages for each category.
PRODUCTIVITY
publicly traded company revenues Morrison, C., Lhteenmki, R. Nat. Biotechnol. 33, 703709 (2015), and company disclosures
publicly traded companies Morrison, C., Lhteenmki, R. Nat. Biotechnol. 33, 703709 (2015), and company disclosures
IP
IP strength Park, W.G. Research Policy 37, 761766 (2008)
perceived IP protection Schwab, K. The Global Competitiveness Report, 20152016. World Economic Forum (2015)
INTENSITY
publicly traded companies per capita Morrison, C., Lhteenmki, R. Nat. Biotechnol. 33, 703709 (2015), company disclosures and
U.S. Census International database
publicly traded company employees per capita Morrison, C., Lhteenmki, R. Nat. Biotechnol. 33, 703709 (2015), company disclosures and
U.S. Census International database
publicly traded company revenues per GDP Morrison, C., Lhteenmki, R. Nat. Biotechnol. 33, 703709 (2015), company disclosures and
IMF World Economic Outlook database
biotech patents per total patents Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Biotechnology Statistics database
value added of knowledge- and technology-intensive industries U.S. National Science Foundations Science and Engineering Indicators
business expenditures on biotechnology R&D Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Biotechnology Statistics database
ENTERPRISE SUPPORT
business friendly environment Doing Business 2015 (World Bank and the International Finance Corporation)
venture capital availability Schwab, K. The Global Competitiveness Report, 20152016. World Economic Forum (2015)
EDUCATION/WORKFORCE
post-secondary science graduates per capita UNESCO
Ph.D. graduates in life sciences per capita Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Education database
FOUNDATIONS
business expenditures on R&D per GDP Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Biotechnology Statistics database
infrastructure quality Schwab, K. The Global Competitiveness Report, 20152016. World Economic Forum (2015)
political stability and absence of violence/terrorism World Banks 2015 World Governance Indicators
NEW ZEALAND
SINGAPORE
DENMARK
AUSTRALIA
SINGAPORE RISING
The same countries take the
top five, but only one climbs
W
hile last years leading five
countries are still in place,
only one of them, Singapore,
is on the rise, jumping from
Singapore, is on the rise, the fifth to the second slot. The United
jumping from the fifth to States stays in the lead with first place
rankings in Productivity and Education/
the second slot.
Workforce and second place rankings in IP
Protection, Intensity and Enterprise Sup-
port. In second overall, Singapore finishes
first in Enterprise Support and Policy &
Stability, and fifth in Intensity. Denmark,
New Zealand and Australia rank third
through fifth, in the same order as 2015,
although each were bumped down one spot
due to Singapores rise.
PRODUCTIVITY
IP PROTECTION
INTENSITY
ENTERPRISE SUPPORT
EDUCATION/WORKFORCE
FOUNDATIONS
POLICY & STABILITY
39.8 30.0 29.5 29.0 28.0
H
overing just above the bottom five in 2015, Kuwait drops into their ranks
this year, while India climbs to slightly higher ground. The remaining
countries in this groupPhilippines, Indonesia, Ukraine and Argentina
hold the same positions that they did in 2015. The key question for 2017 will be:
Is India on a real upswing or is it just a blip in the data? In each of the past two
years, India rose a rung or two, but it suffered a significant plunge of five spots
from 2013 to 2014. Next years Scorecard could indicate whether India is really
ARGENTINA
INDIA
PHILIPPINES
KUWAIT
INDONESIA
UKRAINE
on an upswing.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 29
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 AVG.
UNITED STATES 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.0 0 CHANGE SINCE LAST YEAR
SINGAPORE 2 2 8 3 5 2 5 2 3.6 -3 (neg. values = improvement)
DENMARK 3 5 2 2 2 3 2 3 2.8 1
NEW ZEALAND 7 18 18 9 10 8 3 4 9.6 1
AUSTRALIA 10 17 5 10 7 4 4 5 7.8 1
SWITZERLAND 6 10 6 6 3 6 7 6 6.3 -1
FINLAND 8 6 7 4 4 7 6 7 6.1 1
UNITED KINGDOM 12 14 9 11 9 9 9 8 10.1 -1
SWEDEN 4 4 3 5 6 5 8 9 5.5 1 UNSETTLED SCORES
CANADA 11 3 4 7 8 11 10 10 8.0 0
Rank is revealing, but fluctuat-
HONG KONG 17 13 20 12 11 11 14.0 0
ing scores signal which way a
GERMANY 16 16 16 16 14 13 12 12 14.4 0
country is trending
ISRAEL 5 7 13 14 15 22 18 13 13.4 -5
A
NETHERLANDS 19 12 12 17 12 14 14 14 14.3 0 lthough the United States remains
JAPAN 13 9 11 18 18 18 16 15 14.8 -1
the perennial leader on the Scien-
IRELAND 14 13 14 8 11 16 13 16 13.1 3
tific American Worldview Scorecard,
theres no shortage of volatility in the rank-
FRANCE 18 8 10 12 13 15 15 17 13.5 2
ings as many countries battle their way up
AUSTRIA 21 20 20 20 17 20 19 18 19.4 -1
and down the list. Singapore, which ranked
NORWAY 17 21 21 19 22 19 17 19 19.4 2
fifth last year, returns to second place, a
BELGIUM 20 15 15 15 16 21 21 20 17.9 -1
position it held two years ago. The United
LUXEMBOURG 25 29 25 19 10 20 21 21.3 1
Kingdom, which came in below the tenth
ICELAND 9 11 22 23 23 24 24 22 19.8 -2
slot in the early years of the Scorecard,
TAIWAN, CHINA 21 26 17 25 23 22.4 -2
advances from last years ninth place to
SOUTH KOREA 15 19 19 22 24 23 23 24 21.1 1 finish at number eight. Canada rounds out
ESTONIA 27 24 38 26 26 25 27.7 -1 the top 10, holding onto its number 10
UAE 40 27 27 26 30.0 -1 spot from 2015. Among the big movers, Is-
MALAYSIA 28 29 37 29 29 27 29.8 -2 rael climbs five slots from last year to take
QATAR 42 25 22 28 29.3 6 13th place, Qatar drops six rungs to 28th,
SPAIN 30 23 23 26 21 28 28 29 26.0 1 Hungary advances four spots to 36th, and
CZECH REPUBLIC 23 29 32 30 25 34 32 30 29.4 -2 Puerto Rico falls 17 spaces to land at 48th.
PORTUGAL 27 24 24 27 29 31 30 31 27.9 1 But apart from the rankings, a coun-
CHILE 26 32 28 35 33 32 31.0 -1 trys absolute score is a key indicator. When
LITHUANIA 35 33 34 32 34 33 33.5 -1 nations maintain a consistent ranking,
SLOVAK REPUBLIC 34 22 34 28 31 40 35 34 32.3 -1 you can still look to their scores to gauge
SOUTH AFRICA 24 28 36 37 30 36 36 35 32.8 -1 changes in their performance. The United
POLAND 29 32 38 34 32 39 39 36 34.9 -3 States, for example, has always held first
HUNGARY 28 26 31 31 27 41 41 37 32.8 -4 place. Therefore, the only way to really
ITALY 26 27 33 36 33 37 37 38 33.4 1
address its evolving performance is to look
LATVIA 44 50 38 38 39 41.8 1
at its overall score. This year the United
States scores 39.8, which, like the previ-
SAUDI ARABIA 25 35 45 33 40 40 36.3 0
ous two years, is greater than its average
CHINA 25 31 30 43 39 42 42 41 36.6 -1
over all eight years of Scientific American
GREECE 36 30 37 38 35 44 43 42 38.1 -1
Worldviews history. Thus, the numbers
MEXICO 33 33 41 41 43 46 44 43 40.5 -1
indicate that its standing is improving.
RUSSIA 22 36 43 45 41 48 47 44 40.8 -3
Singapore and Denmark, on the other
THAILAND 40 40 54 43 48 45 45.0 -3
hand, have scores this year that are below
TURKEY 30 34 39 42 44 47 45 46 40.9 1
their eight-year average. So despite their
BRAZIL 32 35 42 39 36 45 46 47 40.3 1 high rankings, they are not improving year
PUERTO RICO 52 30 31 48 40.3 17 over year. The majority of the countries at
INDIA 35 37 44 47 47 52 51 49 45.3 -2 the bottom of the Scorecard also came in
PHILIPPINES 38 45 48 51 51 50 50 47.6 0 this year with numbers below their eight-
KUWAIT 53 49 49 51 50.5 2 year averages, suggesting that they may be
INDONESIA 47 50 49 50 52 52 50.0 0 on a downward slide.
UKRAINE 48 49 48 53 53 53 50.7 0
ARGENTINA 46 46 46 54 54 54 50.0 0
T
his years top three countries by other leading countriesFinland, Sweden rose from 17th in 2010 to take one of the
rankthe United States, Singapore and Switzerlandcan also boast long- top five spots for the past three years.
and Denmarkhave been in the top standing holds on the top 10. But bragging
20
NEW ZEALAND
NG
KO
NG
AU
HO
S
TR
ALI
A
SW CANADA
ITZ UNITED KINGDOM
ERL
AN SWEDEN
D
D
FINLAN
SINGAPORE DENMARK
UNITED STATES
A PERILOUS PEAK
R
ank is one thing on the Scientific one percent or less. Among the top 10,
American Worldview Scorecard, and Singapores score sees the biggest jump,
Half of the top 10 countries lost score is another. Rank reveals one 8.3%. Just two of the top 10 countries
footing in their overall scores countrys performance against others, score higher than their average this year.
while its score over time shows how its Both the United States and New Zealand
capabilities change. Only half of the top surpass their averages by 3.6%. Meanwhile,
10 countriesAustralia, New Zealand, Canada and Sweden suffer major descents,
Singapore, Switzerland and the United falling 10.6% and 10.2% from their aver-
Statesincreased their scores from 2015 ages, respectively.
to 2016. And of these, most only rose by
40 UNITED STATES
RK
SIN NMA FIN
GA DE LA
ND
PO
RE
LIA
TRA
SWE
DEN AUS
HO
D NG
LAN KO
I TZER NG
S W DOM
D KING CANADA
25 UNITE
D
EALAN
NEW Z
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 31
32 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN | WORLDVIEW
LOCAL SPECIALTIES
A far-flung list of leaders in specific areas of biotech
innovation proves theres plenty of room at the top
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 33
worldVIEWguide
Biotechnology briefings on each Scorecard country
N
o matter where a country ranks on the
Scientific American Worldview Score-
card, chances are theres something
exciting going on in its biotech sector.
That thinking spawned our worldVIEW-
guide, which consists of quantitative
and qualitative descriptions of each
nation. The quantitative part comes from several sources:
general country statistics, our Scorecard and the Nature
Index (http:www.natureindex.com)a database of author
affiliation information collated from research articles
published in an independently selected group of 68 high-
quality science journals. This index also assigns articles
to particular categories: chemistry, earth & environmen-
tal sciences, life sciences, and physical sciences. DATA KEY
Our guide details every countrys Scientific American
Worldview Scorecard (SAWV SC) rank, population, gross
domestic product (GDP) and the amount of money SAWV SC SUMMARY
that it invests in R&D per GDP. A radar plot reveals its 10
pr o d u c t i v i t y 10
IP
ty pr
il i
performance in the Scorecard categories: Productivity,
ot
ab
ec
st
t io
y&
Intellectual Property (IP) Protection, Intensity, Enter-
n 10
po l i c
i n t en s i t y
o n s 10
10
the countrys score in each category, and the number by
un
fo
en
t.
the category label indicates its rank (numbers in blue-
0 su
e1 pp
rc or t
kfo 10
ed u c ./w o r
green represent a tie in rank).
Each description also includes a Nature Index donut, NATURE INDEX SHOWING
which reflects the relative contribution of its author RELATIVE LIFE SCIENCE
affiliations on articles from each category: chemistry PUBLICATIONS
(1 October 201430 September 2015)
(red), earth & environmental sciences (green), life sci-
ences (yellow), and physical sciences (blue). The num-
ber inside the donut is the countrys weighted fractional
count (WFC), which is basically the number of publica-
tions that a nation can claim (adjusted for collaboration WFC
with authors from other countries and some statistical
balancing of the results, which is described more fully
on the Nature Index website).
The worldVIEWguide descriptions combine data SUBJECT:
analysis with comments and news about the local PHYSICAL SCIENCES
biotech ecosystem. In combination, each entry offers a CHEMISTRY
EARTH & ENVIRONMENTAL
quick country overview, giving readers a closer look at SCIENCES
the latest in biotechnology around the world. LIFE SCIENCES
TET
ST TAB
SAWV SC rank: 1
AB
CETC
Y& S
ITOIN
DATOI NS 9 POOLILCICY &
ON2
Population: 318,892,103
2
GDP: 16,768
ONS 9 P
17,287.17
ININTEN
R&D/GDP: 2.81 17,287.17
TENSITY
SITY 2
W
UNNDATI
hen it comes to biotechnol-
2
ogy, the United States leads
U
O
FOF
the waytopping the Scientific
ENEN
1 T.T. SU
ECE1 SU PP
American Worldview Scorecard (SC) since RKFOFORCR PPOORT
/WOORK
EDUUCC./.W RT 22
its inception in 2009. In addition, The ED
PRODUCTIVITY
BI
LIT
Y1 IP
PR Singapore capabilities in R&D and manufacturing,
with most of the necessary regulatory
OT
A
ST
SAWV SC rank: 2
EC
TIO
CY
Population: 5,567,301
N
POLI
S
UND
ish throughout the SCs history, of Singapore has announced that it plans
7
and a top five finish in every year to spend [US$13.2 billion] on research
E NT
RC .S
FO UP
except 2011. It also scores well on other and development between 2016 and
ORK POR
EDUC./W T1
measurements: 15th for output in the 2020. In addition, the National Univer-
ODUCTIVITY
Nature Index 2015 Global, with more than sity of Singapore opened a US$25 million
IP
PR half of the publications in chemistry; synthetic biology center on September
OT
and fifth on the 2015 BCI index, which 30, 2015. Other news reveals the allure of
EC
TIO
487.1
announced plans to move his research
in science and technology exploring plant RNAs impact on drought
Y5
NT
.S
a go-to country for biotechnology research,
UP
POR
ED T1
as well as for R&D in general.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 35
Denmark IT
IL ILIT
0
PRODPURCOTDIVUICTTYIV10ITY
Y 1 Y 10
10
IP I
PR P P
R
OT
SAWV SC rank: 3
TA
AB
OT ION 13
EC
&S
ST
EC
T
&
TIO
Population: 5,569,077
CY
ICY
N 13
NS 6 POLI
S 6 POL
GDP: 331
R&D/GDP: 3.02 320.21
INTENSIT
320.21
INTENSIT
N
DATIO
IO
A
T
perennial top-fivertaking top three
5 UNDA
Y1
UN
Y1
spots every year except 2010and
FO
FO
second to the United States in aver-
EN
EN
T. T. SU
5
1
SU E 1 CE
age finish overall, Denmark earns star bill- PPO PPOR FORCKFOR
T
RT 2 23 EDUOCR./KWO R
3 EDUC./W
ing in the biotechnology world. Surprising-
ly, however, it does not perform as well on
the Nature Index, ranking 21st on the 2015 myeoloma, with this conclusion: Daratu- its net profit in 2016. In January 2016,
global list for overall output, with just two mumab monotherapy showed encouraging Novozymes also announced a collaboration
of its institutions making the top 200 list. efficacy in heavily pretreated and refractory with U.S.-based Monsanto to use naturally
Nonetheless, Danish scientists perform a patients with multiple myeoloma, with a occurring microbes to increase the harvest
range of first-class research. Copenhagen- favourable safety profile in this population from corn. These examples of the breadth
based Genmab contributed to a January of patients. Denmark also deserves high of biotechnology expertise in Denmark
6, 2016, online article for The Lancet, ranking in industrial biotechnology, driven support its high global ranking in this
which described a Phase II trial on the largely by Bagsvaerd-based Novozymes, industry, and its consistent performance
use of daratumumab for refractor multiple which is predicting 810% growth in should continue.
New Zealand
CTI
PRODU VITY 22 investors to large private investment and
Y2 IP
LIT PR significant initial public offerings at the
BI
OT
A
EC
&
TIO
N
POLI
18
109.50
INTENSIT
N
DATI
ew Zealand keeps moving up the land, and the plant is expected to start
Y4
UN
SCmaking a big jump from 18th testing in 2016. The fuel source will be
FO
place in 2010 to third in 2015, and inedible tallow, which is a byproduct of the
2
NT
CE .S
ORKF
OR UP
POR coming in fourth in 2016. According to meat industry, and the plant is expected to
EDUC./W T5
Will Barker, CEO of NZBIO, A significant produce 20 million liters of biodiesel a year
CTI
to start and scale
PRODU VITY 22
IP up to 40 million.
PR A significant advance for our industry In describing the
OT
operation, David
TIO
general manager of
flowing into the industry. WILL BARKER supply and distribu-
109.50
INTENSIT
12 months has been the increase in capital lation enables us to use a plentiful local
from various sources flowing into the resource to produce high quality biodiesel
E
NT
.S
UP
EDUC./W
O POR
T5 industry: from seed capital invested at the that exceeds New Zealands biodiesel
very early stage [by] government-backed specifications.
incubator programs and private angel
AB
ST B
TE CTIO
TE
SAWV SC rank: 5
Y &STA
CT N
ION 19
POLICY &
Population: 22,751,014
POLIC
19
GDP: 1,506
R&D/GDP: 2.25 919.32
UN TIONS 15
INTENSITY
919.32
ONS 15
INTENSITY 3
I
DATI
t might be down under geographically,
FO UNDA
3
but Australia finished in the SC top
FO
five for the past three years. It also
EN
EN
T. T. 4 4
SUSU CE CE
produced the 12th highest output on the
PPOPP
ROTR2T RKFOKRFOR
222 EDEUDCU./CW./OWOR
Nature Index 2015 Global. Experts around
the world recognize the biotechnology
opportunities in this country, as some ebration of Australian and international Fund to help publicize and commercial-
events demonstrate. In October 2016, life sciences and highlight Melbourne as ize the countrys research successes. In
for example, Australia will host BioFest one of the worlds great biotech hubs. an announcement of the plan, Minister
2016, which is billed as the largest-ever The Australian government is also work- for Industry, Innovation and Science,
gathering in Australian life sciences, ing to highlight the countrys high-tech Christopher Pynesaid, Culture is one of
with three major conferences coming capabilities. In January 2016, Prime the agendas four pillars because Austra-
together in one week in one place as one Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a lia must make the cultural shift to being
integrated network. The buildup for the public-information plan that will include a nation that is more inclined to take a
meeting adds: The event will be a cel- a US$250 million Biomedical Translation chance on its ideas.
DCUTCITVIIVTIYT9Y9
PRPORDOU
33 IPIP P third on the 2015 BCI index, which states,
TYITY PR R
ILIIL Respondents report that a very effective
OTTEC
O
B
TAB
& STA
EC TIO
TIO N 1
POLICY &
N 111
INTENSIT
INTENSITY 6
UND ATION
Y6
E
E
NTNT
1
. S. S EE
UPUP RCRC
POPRO
TRT1717 EDUC.C/WOROKRFKOFO Swiss Biotech Report 2015 points out that
EDU ./W
some of the largest Swiss companies
such as Nestl, Novartis, Syngenta or
Switzerland Roche are active within life sciences and
act globally. The report continues: For
SAWV SC rank: 6 many of these multinationals, Switzerland
Population: 8,061,516 is the hub of their global network of R&D
GDP: 650 collaborations and manufacturing sites.
R&D/GDP: 2.96 The data also show the value of the medi-
cal, scientific and technological industries
A
lthough just barely in the global to this country. As the report notes, The
top 100 for population, this small importance of Switzerland as a center for
country remains in the top 10 of the production is illustrated by the fact that
SCwith a third-place ranking in Founda- in 2014, chemical, pharmaceutical and
tions in 2016and the Nature Index 2015 biotech companies accounted for 41% of
Global. Moreover, Switzerland landed at total Swiss exports.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 37
PRODUCTIVITY 19 suggest that Finland keeps growing as a
Y3 PRODUCTIVITY 19 IP
LIT
BI LITY3 IPPR biotechnology leader. In November 2015,
I PR
TA A
OT O
B
& S ST
ECTE
CY &
TICOT
ATDIAOTNS 2 POLPIOLICY
NIO1N
tical industry was the exports growth driver
1 INTI ENSITSYIT3Y 30
IONS 2
NTEN
and August [2015], medicine exports grew
by 4% compared with the same period
ONUDN
0
in the preceding year, according to a
FOUF
7
E NT E E
RC NT . SU
ORKFORCE . S PPO
UP RT 12 Industry Finland (PIF). In addition, Finnish
EDUC./WORKFO POR
EDUC./W T 12 companies have an international appeal.
For instance, in January 2016, Accorda
Finland
D
espite a very low performance in the Therapeutics, a U.S.-based biotechnology
SCs Intensity measurement, which company, agreed to pay US$363 million
SAWV SC rank: 7 basically ranks a countrys efforts for Finland-based Biotie Therapies, which
Population: 5,268,799 in innovative biotechnology, Finland has is developing drugs to treat Parkinsons
GDP: 267 placed in the top 10 overall since our diseaseincluding tozadenant, which is in
R&D/GDP: 3.42 ranking began in 2009. When it comes to Phase III clinical trials. With the worlds
article output, though, its standing slips aging population, such treatments could
taking the 25th spot on the Nature Index be needed more and more, especially since
2015 Global and having none of its institu- Biotie Therapies claims that tozadenant
tions make the top 200. Still, indicators may also have utility in other CNS disorders.
OT
ST
EC
Population: 63,742,977
N
POLIC
GDP: 2,523
tinue to compete for high levels of global
R&D/GDP: 1.63
ONS 20
INTENSITY
biopharmaceutical 3,278.07
investment. Financial
O
verall, the United Kingdom performs indicators also depict a strong biotechnol-
DATI
relatively stably on the SC, with ogy industry in the country. In October
UN
12
FO
NT
3
OT
EC
TIO
Y&
INTENSITY
3,278.07
be used to help plants survive in stressful
DATI
12
NT
3
CE .S
with the report stating: In the view of ORKF
OR UP
POR
T
EDUC./W 11
local executives, an active and ongoing
TE
& S STA
TCET
TA
SAWV SC rank: 9
LICY &
CITON
S 4 POPOLICY
ION12
Population: 9,723,809
12
GDP: 559
S4
INTENSISTIYTY 10
510.34
INTEN
R&D/GDP: 3.28 510.34
ON
DAITOIN
OUDNAT
A
lthough Sweden ranked in the SCs
10
OFUN
top five for the first three years,
F
23
2009 to 2011, it fell to eighth place
E
N
3
NT T. S CE
E
. S UPP OCRE
in 2015 and now comes in at ninth. Still, UP OR
POR T 14 EDUC./WOKRFKOFR
T 14 EDUC./WOR
Sweden finished 15th on the Nature Index
2015 Global, and four of its institutions
Lund University (147th), Uppsala Univer- is a crucial metric in cancer treatments. informed decisions earlier in their develop-
sity (159th), Karolinska Institute (176th) To make the most of that tool, however, ment process, linking biomarkers to drug
and Stockholm University (188th)made Biovica teamed up with a Swiss company, efficacy and cell proliferation all the way
the top 200. As some research in Sweden SimplicityBio, that developed its Biomarker from the early development to clinical
demonstrates, biotechnology requires Optimization Software System (BOSS). In trials. Indeed, biotechnology innovation
wet-lab work plus advanced algorithms combination, these two companies hope to moves faster when companies and people
and computation, as well as international speed up the development of new cancer team up and combine skill sets.
collaboration. Sweden-based Biovica, for treatments. Discussing this teamwork,
instance, developed DiviTum, an assay that Biovica CEO Anders Rylander said that it
measures rates of cell proliferation, which will enable our partners to make more
PRODUCTIVITY 5
Y8 PRODUCTIVITY 5 IP
LIT P
IP R
BI ITY 8 PR
OT OT
TA TA
L
BI
EC ECT
&S &S
TIO IO
CY CY
N 8N 8
ONS 2N1S 21POLPI OLI
3,963.44
INTIENNTSEIN
3,963.44
Canada
DATI ATIO
TYSI2TY 2
UN ND
1 1
FO FOU
SAWV SC rank: 10
EN EN
9 9
T.
Population: 34,834,841 CE S
OR T. UPPO
O RKF RCE SU RT 1
GDP: 1,827 EDUC./W
ORK
FO PPO 3
RT 1
EDUC./W 3
R&D/GDP: 1.71
R
ounding out the top 10 on the SC, Canada is also making subsidies to help 90 citizens with disabili-
Canada stays in the same position ties enter the biotechnology workforce. To
as last year. But on other indices
strides toward growing its increase the number of biotech workers
it makes more dynamic moves, taking biotech workforce overall, BioTalent Canada runs a Career
sixth place, for example, on the 2015 BCI, Focus Program to pave the way to employ-
which noted Canadas well-established nation placed seventh overall. Canada is ment by helping offset the costs of orienta-
biotechnology base that has seen rapid also making strides toward growing its tion, integration and skills development.
growth in certain areas of research and biotech workforcesomething it needs to The program takes aim at the industrys
manufacturing over the past two decades. do, according to the SC. In January 2016, gender imbalances, as women made up
With its University of Toronto coming in for instance, BioTalent Canada announced 57% of its participants last year.
21st on the Nature Index 2015 Global, the a program providing US$1 million in wage
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 39
PRODUCTIVITY 16
W
ith a stable and nearly top 10 safety and nutritional values are of bigger
Y5 IP
LIT PR SC ranking for the past three concern in general. On the SC, Hong Kong
A BI
OT
ST
years, Hong Kong could make a ranks low on Intensity and Education/
EC
&
TIO
CY
good home for biotech research. Neverthe- Workforce, suggesting the country could
N
POLI
23
less, according to the U.S. Department put far greater focus on biotechnology.
TIONS 12
of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricul- Some signs indicate a push in the lat-
INTENSIT
ture Services GAIN (Global Agricultural ter, such as an undergraduate degree in
NDA
Y 20
FOU
2015, Hong Kong has no commercial pro- Hong Kong University of Science and Tech-
duction of biotechnology crops, nor does it nology. Ultimately, increasing its biotech
45
E NT
.S E
RC UP
ORKFO POR
T3 conduct field trials. Although scientists in efforts is the only way to push Hong Kong
EDUC./W
Hong Kong can do laboratory research on up the SC.
genetically engineered (GE) crops, the field
trials take place in China. This limits Hong
Although scientists in
Hong Kong Kongs capabilities in bioagriculture. How-
ever, the report continues: On the whole, Hong Kong can do laboratory
SAWV SC rank: 11 Hong Kong consumers are not concerned research on genetically
Population: 7,112,688 about foods containing GE ingredients.
engineered (GE) crops,
GDP: 274 There have not been any strong actions in
R&D/GDP: 0.73 the general public urging the [Hong Kong the field trials take place
government] to adopt mandatory labeling in China.
for GE foods in recent years. Prices, food
A
fter a long stay at 16th place on the patocytes, in the lab for the first time. The
SC, from 2009 to 2012, Germany authors concluded: These results offer a
began to ascend in 2013 and now means of expanding human hepatocytes of
sits at 12th for the second year in a row. different genetic backgrounds for research,
And it scores even higher on the Nature clinical applications and pharmaceutical
Index 2015 Global, taking the third spot, development. German companies seek
out such collaborations. In January 2016,
CTI
PRODU VITY 6
for example, the German firm QIAGEN an-
14 IP
PR nounced its 15th collaborationthis one with
TY
ILI O
U.S.-based Array BioPharmawith biotech
AB
TE
CT
ST
16
26
EN
T
.S
CE
10 UP
PO insights from blood, underscores the trust
FOR RT
EDUC./WORK 21
in our Sample to Insight solutions.
TTE
TAAB
B
SAWV SC rank: 13
ECCTI
& SST
TIOON
LICYY &
Population: 7,821,850
N 226
OLIC
6
GDP: 4.25
PPO
R&D/GDP: 291
TIONS 7
ATIONS 7
517.35
517.35
IIN
NTTEEN
NSSITY
F
NDA
or most of the SCs history, Israel has
ITY 77
UND
FFOOU
ricocheted up and down the rankings
coming in fifth in 2009, 22nd in 2014,
77
EE
EE NNT T
RRCC . S. S
and jumping from 18th in 2015 to 13th in OORKKFOFO
R
UUPP
PPOORR
/W
EEDDUUCC./.W TT1100
2016. For an inside perspective, we turned
to Meir Perez Pugatch, managing director
of the Pugatch Consilium, to describe the accelerated the ongoing activities of the tion agreement with Bayer; Samsung
state of biotechnology in Israel, who said: bio-clusters in Israel. Accordingly, there started an innovation center in Israel
Israel continues to impressively grow is a stronger collaboration between local focusing on digital health; Merck has
its biopharmaceutical and biotechnol- biotech companies and multinational signed a strategic collaboration agreement
ogy clusters. Recent developmentssuch ones. For example, Novartis has invested with the Macabi Heath Fund focusing on
as the creation of the new Research and in Gamida Cell and BioLine Rx.; Merck- areas of big data and real world evidence,
Development Authority, the improve- Serono established a bio-incubator capital et cetera. This rate of activity should help
ment of regulatory pathways and stronger fund in Israel with a budget of 10 million Israel continue to climb the SC.
intellectual property protectionhave euros; Compugen has signed a collabora-
BI
LIT
Y7
PRODUCTIVITY 11
IP
PR Netherlands in place there, as the Leiden Bio Science
Park is home to 20 drug development
A
OT
EC
&
TIO
CY
R&D/GDP: 1.97712.40
INTENSITY
T
he Netherlands has owned the 14th regenerative medicine, translational neu-
UN
13
SC spot for the past three years. roscience and others. Having such a broad
FO
3 NT
E .S
RKFO
RC UP
POR having also taken 14th place on the Nature that the Netherlands can expect many
EDUC./WO 24 T
Index 2015 Global, with five of its institu- impactful discoveries ahead.
tions making the top 200 list, and all but
UCTIVITY 1
1 one of them in the top 100. Dutch leaders, Dutch leaders, however,
IP
PR however, are hoping to take biotech activi-
are hoping to take biotech
OT
activities up a notch.
TIO
712.40
on the risks. One of the main reasons why
the Government considers biotechnology
13
NT
.S
UP
POR
T
fields of food security, nature conservation,
24
biodiversity and the environment. The
E
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 41
CTI
PRODU VITY 12
17 IP biotechnology among papers with authors
TY PR
ILI affiliated with Japan produced nearly 16,000
OT
AB
EC
ST
TIO
Y&
N
POLIC
3
fabricated devices to build neural networks
INTENSITY
TIONS 5
30
FOU
RC
E
NT
.S E wide connections between [peripheral ner-
UP
ORKFO POR
T 28 vous system] neurons and various organs,
EDUC./W
and might help to understand patient-
specific molecular and
Japan In all but one year, 2010, Japan has functional mechanisms
SAWV SC rank: 15 ranked in the mid-teens on the SC, seeing under normal and
pathological condi-
Population: 127,103,388 an upward swing in the last three years. tions. Beyond publish-
GDP: 4,899 ing, other factors are
R&D/GDP: 3.34 place. It performs even better in terms of driving Japanese biotech innovation, such
article output, earning the fifth spot overall as 500 Startups, a VC project that created
I
n all but one year, 2010, Japan has on the Nature Index 2015 Global, with 10 a US$30 million fund for biotechnology and
ranked in the mid-teens on the SC, seeing of its institutions ranking in the top 200, healthcare start-ups in Japan. The com-
an upward swing in the last three years four of which make the top 50. On February bination of advanced research and capital
when it rose from 18th to 16th to 15th 7, 2016, a search on PubMed for the word goes a long way in biotechnology.
OT
AB
EC
ST
TIO
Y&
N
ONS 24 POLIC
5
GDP: 232 country also scores well in this SC metric,
INTENSITY
R&D/GDP: 1.58 it keeps working to improve its perfor- 113.9
mance, recently releasing Inspiring Part-
DATI
M
aking the SCs top 15 every year nership National IP Protocol 2016. At the
15
UN
except two (including 2016), and launch of this protocol, Alison Campbell,
FO
EN
1 SU
CE PPO
Index 2015 Global, Ireland took fourth said: In particular, the IP Protocol offers RKFOR
26 RT
EDUC./WO
place on the 2015 BCIwhich put it in the valuable support that will help increase
strongly competitive category. Overall the number of companies CTI and research
PRODU VITY 16
respondents found the Irish market to performing Yorganizations
15 workingIPtogether
T PR
be an attractive destination in the near ILI
and the number of businesses benefitting
OT
AB
EC
ST
term, said the 2015 BCI. And the countrys from innovation.
TIO
Y&
T.
3
OT
AB
SAWV SC rank: 17
EC
ST
TIO
Y&
Population: 66,259,012
N8
POLIC
GDP: 2,807
INTENSITY 1
R&D/GDP: 2.23
ONS 17
2,071.53
DATI
F
rances ranking on the SC jumps
9
UN
around more than most, but usually
FO
EN
lands in the teens. Its best show-
T
2 .S
E1 UP
RC PO
ing, at eighth place in 2010, is a long EDUC./WOR
KFO
27 RT
CTI
PRODU VITY 22 been entirely developed in Austria filed its
3
Y1 IP
PR
LIT application for marketing authorization in
I
OT
AB
TIO
Y&
17
272.32
from neuroblastoma, a rare childhood can-
DATIO
EN
2 .S
CE UP
Oncology Groupa great and very success-
PO
RKFOR 37 RT
EDUC./WO
ful academic-corporate business model.
An application for the U.S. Food and Drug
Austria
O
ver the years, Austria has finished Administration is also already in prepara-
pretty close to its average SC rank- tion. Other promising technologies are
SAWV SC rank: 18 ing of 19.4, and it performed about also being studied. On January 11, 2016,
Population: 8,665,550 the same on the Nature Index 2015 Global, GEN reported that investigators from
placing 22nd. According to Josef Pen- the Medical University of Vienna, Austria,
GDP: 416
ninger, senior scientist and scientific direc- have begun to look at secretome fractions
R&D/GDP: 2.81
tor at the Institute of Molecular Biotech- from stem cell culture media as starting
nology GmbH in Vienna: Last year was a material in the development of cell-free
successful one for the biotech community therapies for regenerative medicine.
in Austria. One contributing factor was
that for the first time a treatment that has
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 43
RODUCTIVIT
PROPDUCTIVITY 15Y 15
8Y 8
IP IP P
has attained a very high level. Norway
TYLIT PR R
ILI I has research groups in this field that are
B
OT CTIO
TA
CY AB
OT
EC
&S
S 22 POLI & ST
E
TIO 19
Y
N 19
can be challenging to translate good ideas
N
ONS 22 POLIC
INTENSITY
market. Its a challenge that all countries
INTENSITY 3
126.38
126.38
FO NDATION
2
2
UN
U
3
other applications. MicroA in Stavanger
9 FO
EN
EN
T. T
9
SU . S
PPOUP
2
CE E 2 specializes in algae, having developed a
RPTO1R FORFORC
RK
5T 15EDUC./WO ORK
EDUC./W
system that turns the microorganisms into
factories that can produce, for instance,
J
ust like Austria, Norways SC aver- polysaccharide products. There is even
Norway age is 19.4, but it finishes farther
down on the Nature Index 2015
enough research in Norway on micro-
algae to prompt the Industrial Biotech
SAWV SC rank: 19
Global at 26th, despite a 22.4% increase Network Norway to establish a special
Population: 5,147,792 in published articles on the index from interest group on the topic. According to
GDP: 513 2013 to 2014. Experts proclaim a range the network, it created SIG Microalgae to
R&D/GDP: 1.62 of successes in Norway. For example, The strengthen the science base and gener-
Research Council of Norway website quotes ate more value for the microalgae-related
Anne Kjersti Fahlvik, executive director industry. This kind of breadth in biotech-
of the councils division for innovation, nology applications could make for a more
as saying, Norwegian cancer research stable industry.
CTI IT1Y
PRPORDOUDUCTVIIVTY 212
Belgium 20 0
TY Y 2
ILIILIT
IP IP
PRP
R
OT
TA B
OTEC
B
&S A
CY ST
ECTION
SAWV SC rank: 20
TIO 10
DATI S 18 POLLIICY &
N 10
Population: 11,323,973
ONS 18 PO
GDP: 508
INTENSITTYY 14
INTENSI
14
A
FOOUND
ENN
E
T. T. S
1
3 3E
slipped back to hover around the CREC SU UP
OFRO
K PPOPOR
WRK
ORF RT 3T 32
20th SC position for the past three years. ./O
EDEUDCU./CW 2
Luxembourg 11
TY 11
ILLIITY
I
P ODUCTIVITY IP
IP PR
PR
BB
OTOT
TATA
ECEC
SAWV SC rank: 21
& &S S
TITOIO
ICYCY
NN1515
Population: 520,672
S S22 2 POPLOLI
GDP: 60
ININ
R&D/GDP: 1.16 5.69
TETNEN
ON
5.69
OIN
SISTIYTY
DADTAIT
L
uxembourg has shown some hustle
UN
UN
FOFO
on the SC over the years, rising from
ENEN
TT
.
29th place in 2011 to tenth in 2014, 5
CE 5 . SSUP
UPPO
FOORRCE PORT 3
before sinking back to 20th in 2015 and R
EDUC./WORK
EDUC./WO
KF RT 39
9
21st this year. On the Nature Index 2015
Global, the country came in 55th overall.
Still, its leaders are striving for a higher great promise. For example, Complix has Complix CEO Mark Vaeck said, With such
international standing in biotechnology. developed Alphabodies, which are protein- a high quality partner, I am confident that
The Luxembourg BioHealth Cluster, for based treatments that can be designed for Complix will be able to rapidly progress the
example, focuses on molecular diagnostics autoimmune diseases and cancer. In order development of CPAB drug candidates that
research, among other areas of biomedi- to move forward with these proteins, Com- we will generate against cancer targets of
cine, and includes hospitals, investors, plix joined forces with New Jerseybased interest to MSD.
laboratories, patient associations, public Merck (known outside the United States
research organizations and R&D com- as MSD), to develop Cell-Penetrating
panies. Certain biopharmaceutical firms Alphabodies (CPABs) that treat cancer. At
in Luxembourg are already showing the announcement of this collaboration,
ILI
TY
17
PRODUCTIVITY
IP
PR
O
Iceland category indicates a need to increase its
homegrown experts in order to compete
TE
AB
ION
Y&
I
n 2009, Iceland made the SCs top to this collaboration, Hordur G. Kristins-
OUN
F
EN
10, but it soon fell to the lower 20s. son, chief science officer at Matis, said, We
T.
13 SU
FOR
CE PP
OR
T 16 Although it ranked 52nd on the Nature look forward to the ongoing collaboration
RK
EDUC./WO
Index 2015 Global, its article output on and to seeing our ideas and inventions
that index is also declining. Nonetheless, commercialized in companies around the
CTIVITY
IP this country keeps trying to improve its world through the work of IDF.
PR
O capabilitiesoften by using the seas that
TE
17.87
high score on the SCs business-friendly should help the country
environment component should help the
bring in any assistance that
country bring in any assistance that it
it needs to improve its
EN
SU
PP
OR
T 16 system. Nevertheless, Icelands relatively biotechnology ecosystem.
ED
low score in the SCs Education/Workforce
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 45
UCTIVITY 19
Taiwan, China ITY
22
PROD
IP
PR
O
TE
BI
SAWV SC rank: 23
CT
STA
ION
Y&
Population: 23,359,928
29
POLIC
GDP: 489
INTENSITY 3
R&D/GDP: 0 410.02
NS 11
ATIO
W
ith an overall average of 22.4
7
ND
on the SC, Taiwans ranking of
U
FO
EN
23rd in 2016 is just about on par,
T.
5 SU
E3 PP
ORT
and it performs even better on the Nature EDUC./WORKFORC 6
Index 2015 Global, with an 18th place
overall ranking and its National Taiwan
University landing in the top 100. More- August 20, 2015, Taiwan Today reported, NT$4 trillion (US$123.2 billion) in
over, Taiwan advertises its biotechnology A wide-ranging development plan 2026. With respectable scores on the
capabilities through international events, targeting Taiwans biotechnology-based SCs Foundations and Enterprise Sup-
including BioTaiwan 2016. This will be economy is set to kick off next year, port categories, Taiwans commitment
the 14th annual event, and it will include according to Premier Mao Chi-kuo. to innovation is clear. Like many other
presentations from companies around the The report continued: Focusing on countries, however, Taiwans Education/
world, as well as one-on-one partnering, agriculture, biomedicine, food, health Workforce category shows room for
seminars and workshops. A large exhibi- care and medical instruments, the 10 improvement.
tion is also expected, including more than year initiative will potentially expand
1,200 booths from 600 companies. On the scale of the local bioeconomy to
SAWV SC rank: 24
CT
ST
ION
Y&
Population: 49,039,986
30
POLIC
GDP: 1,304
INTENSITY
R&D/GDP: 4.03
NS 1
1,127.21
DATIO
I
n 2012, South Korea slipped to the
29
UN
FO
TE
CT
ION
Y&
24
18.08
INTENSITY
7 T.
E2 SU
KFORC PPO
RT trouble when biotechnology executives
EDUC./WOR 9
lacked adequate business training, and tried
to survive on their science expertise alone.
ILI
TY
26
PRODUCTIVITY
IP
PR
O
United Arab in dry, hot and salty conditions. U.A.E.
scientists are also deeply involved in other
Emirates
TE
AB
CT
ST
SAWV SC rank: 26
Centre in Dubai, Injaz the Camel gave birth
Population: 5,628,805
INTENSITY 3
11.37
GDP: 402 enough, except for the fact that six-year-
R&D/GDP: 0.49
DAT
EN
A
fter a fairly rough start on the SC experts report that more work is underway
T
.S
51 UP
CE PO
EDUC./WORKFOR 7 RT
at 40th place in 2013, the United in this area. But to innovate across the
Arab Emirates has finished in the biotech industry, the United Arab Emir-
high 20s for the past three years. Despite a ates needs to raise its percentage of R&D
CTIVITY
IP
PR
32.2% increase in output of articles in the workers, becauseas has been written here
O many timesbiotechnology innovation
Nature Index 2015 Global, it only reached
TE
CT
.S
7
UP
PO
RT ogy and genetics to desert plants to make
R&D workers.
ED
them better able to endure and prosper
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 47
DUCTIVIT
PRPORDOUCTIVITY Y advanced its virus-like particle, or VLP,
YT3Y535 IP IP P
PR RO
TI
ILIIL O platform for enteroviruses to the Phase
TEECTI
B
T
TAB
CT ON
CY ST
ION 31
DATI S 25 POLLIICY &
31
companies with a platform VLP technol-
ONS 25 PO
INTENSITY
ogy. Second, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board,
INTENSITY24
10.60
10.60 in collaboration with U.S.-based Orion
UNNDATION
24
through in understanding the mantling
F OU
O
F
EN
T. T.
SUS EN
37 7 phenotype in oil palm. The technology is
PUPPOP CE E 3
ROTR4T RKFOFRORC critical to eliminating off types at early
WORK
./O
4 EDEUDCU./CW
stages of clonal propagation of oil palm.
He adds, Despite the rapid decline in
Malaysia
I
n most years since 2011, Malaysia global commodity prices and the deprecia-
ranked in the high 20s on the SC. Ac- tion of the Ringgit against the U.S. dollar,
SAWV SC rank: 27 cording to Ganesh Kishore, CEO of the Malaysian leadership continues to invest
Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund: The in life science entities. It is a testament to
Population: 30,073,353
country continues to actively invest in the level of commitment by the leadership
GDP: 313
biotech. The private sector and especially of the country and its business community.
R&D/GDP: 1.13
the large-cap private sector is investing in It also acknowledges that the country
innovation both directly and indirectlyvia needs to offer innovation basedvalue
venture capital firms. Two areas deserve added offerings to be globally competitive.
special recognition. One, Sentinext, the
vaccine-development company, has
Qatar ILI
TY
30
PRODUCTIVITY
IP
PR
O
reef, and impacts on fish in the area could
force the country to turn to farm fishing
SAWV SC rank: 28
AB
TE
CT
Population: 2,123,160
ION
Y&
5.07
efforts. For instance, U.S.-based Carnegie
A
DATI
EN
in 2015, Qatar drops back this year one-day workshops that offer participants
T.
54 SU
PP
to 28th, and takes the 66th spot on the FOR
CE ORT
8 hands-on experience carrying out protein
EDUC./WORK
Nature Index 2015 Global. Distressing extractions from food items and conduct-
environmental changes affecting Qatar ing colorimetric and spectrophotometric
PRODUCTIVITY
may force itY 3to
0 ramp up its biotechIP focus. techniques in a real lab. No country can
T PR
On AugustILI 31, 2015, for example, phys.org
O afford to miss any opportunity to train
AB
TE
ST
CT
5.07
scientists, working with the ministries changes affecting Qatar
DATI
biotech focus.
EN
T.
OT
I
AB
SAWV SC rank: 29
EC
EIT Health. This large healthcare initiative
ST
TIO
Y&
N
POLIC
35
GDP: 1,359 tion in healthy living and active aging,
INTENSITY
R&D/GDP: 1.27 with the aim to improve quality of life and
ONS 29
1,035.53
healthcare across Europe, Barber says.
S
DATI
8
UN
articles in the Nature Index 2015 search and Innovation Strategies for Smart
O
EN
F
Global to earn the country tenth Specialisation will pave the way towards
T.
24 SU
PP
CE
place globally, while two Spanish institu- a knowledge-based economy, helping and
OR
FOR T 40
EDUC./WORK
tions made the top 200: the Spanish promoting all the biotech and medtech
TIVITY 2 National Research Council, which came industry and innovation. He also explains
2
IP in 27th, and the University of Barcelona, that during 2015, the Catalan govern-
PR
which took the 186th spot. Plus, the eighth ment launched the Knowledge Industry
OT
EC
BioSpain, taking place September 2016, Programme, which will drive the creation
TIO
N
promises to be bigger and better than the of new companies and start-ups.
35
SU
PP director general of Biocat, says, There are
OR
ED
T 40
currently some important changes that will
CTI
PRODU VITY
25 IP P
RO
to go in this field, as a search on PubMed
TY
ILI T on February 11, 2016, for Czech authors
EC
AB
TIO
ST
EN
T.
E2
1 SU
PP biotechnology to remediate contaminated
RC OR
EDUC./WOR
KFO T 41 groundwater. For biotechnology in general,
the Czech search revealed 626 articles,
including a study in Pharmaceutical Biology
Czech Republic
C
oming in 30th, the Czech Republic of antimicrobial applications of flavonoids
continues its SC upswing that began from fruits, using DNA fragmentation anal-
SAWV SC rank: 30 last year, when it moved from 34th ysis, from which the authors concluded:
Population: 10,627,448 place in 2014 to 32nd. Even better, it ranks This work demonstrates anti-[methicillin-
27th on the Nature Index 2015 Global. In resistant Staphylococcus aureus] and
GDP: 198
April, raising its biotech profile, Prague antileishmanial potential of geranylated
R&D/GDP: 1.79
hosted the International Conference on flavanones and uncovers their promising
Nanobiotechnology (ICNB16), which aims synergistic activities with antibiotics. In
to become the leading annual conference addition, the mechanism of antileishman-
in fields related to nanobiotechnology. ial effect is proposed.
So far, the Czech Republic itself has a way
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 49
Portugal ILI
TY
28
PRODUCTIVITY
IP
PR
O
TE
AB
SAWV SC rank: 31
CT
ST
ION
Y&
Population: 10,813,834
25
POLIC
GDP: 220
INTENSITY 4
R&D/GDP: 1.38 118.95
IONS 28
A
fter five years in the mid- to upper-
DAT
1
UN
20s on the SC, Portugal dropped
EN
FO
T.
into the low 30s in 2014, and thats 25
SU
PP
CE OR
where it remains. The nation performs FOR T 34
EDUC./WORK
about the same on the Nature Index 2015
Global, where it landed at 28th. Efforts in
the country aim to raise its standing in
agricultural biotechnology. For example, Germany, Portugal and Spain described approach presented here can be used for
Portugals Centre for Information on Bio- a metabolic model of Chinese hamster optimizing metabolic models by finding
technology and the University of Coimbra ovary cellsCHO cells, which are used in the best combination of targets and their
organized a fifth meeting on agrobiotech- many studies. The proposed methodol- optimal level of up/down-regulation. Fur-
nology to explore the science and socioeco- ogy manages to provide a sustained and thermore, it can accommodate additional
nomic aspects of genetically modified robust growth in CHO cells, increasing trade-offs and constraints with great
crops and food products. Portugal has its productivity while simultaneously increas- flexibility.
sights set on other areas of biotechnology ing biomass production, product titer, and
as well. A recent paper in the Journal of keeping the concentrations of lactate and
Biotechnology by a team of scientists from ammonia at low values, they wrote. The
ILI
TY
23
PRODUCTIVITY
IP P
RO
T
Chile ogy efforts. A 2015 USDA GAIN Report
noted: Agricultural biotechnology is not
SAWV SC rank: 32 a priority for Chiles current Administra-
AB
EC
ST
TIO
Population: 17,363,894
N3
POLIC
GDP: 277
and commercialization ofgenetically
INTENSITY 39
C
hile performs about the same on the neeredproducts to be labeled. Commer-
UN
SC and the Nature Index 2015 Global, cially, Chile could be a viable producer of
FO
EN
T.
SU
E3
8 PP
OR taking the 31st and 32nd spots, transgenic sugar beets, corn,and alfalfa.
RC T 20
respectively. Its output on the publishing But there is some evidence of progress
KFO
EDUC./WOR
index, however, increased by 26.1% from in Chilean biotech. Alejandro Dinamarca,
ODUCTIVITY 2013 to 2014. Not everyone, though, is of the University of Valparaiso, and his
IP P
RO
T
impressed by Chiles recent biotechnol- colleagues developed a food additive,
based on marine bacteria, that reduces
EC
TIO
SU
value is increased.
PP
OR
T 20
EDUC./
TE
industry has skyrocketed over the last two
ST
CT
&
ION
decades and is now regarded as one the
CY
41
POLI
INTENSITY
ONS 33
13.15
the biotechnology and pharmaceutical
DATI
EN
tors reach is truly global. An international
T.
6 SU
E3 PP
KFORC OR
T 18 reputation in biotechnology also depends
EDUC./WOR
on original research. In the January 2016
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, for
example, Lithuanian scientists described
Lithuania
L
ithuanias low- to mid-30s ranking on the synthesis of flu proteins from yeast
the SC over the years surpasses its to study immunological activity. Also, in
SAWV SC rank: 33
47th place showing on the Nature In- the January 2016 International Journal of
Population: 3,505,738
dex 2015 Global. Although the country did Biological Macromolecules, Lithuanian sci-
GDP: 47 improve by almost 50% on its Nature Index entists joined one from Turkey in a report
R&D/GDP: 0.9 output between 2013 and 2014, its low ar- on how a chitosan coating adds shelf life to
ticle count was the reason for such a large red kiwifruit, which is typically too fragile
percentage advance without the adding for commercial use. This breadth, medical
of very many publications. Some sources and agricultural biotechnology, contributes
expect ongoing improvements from this to a basis for growth.
Slovak Republic 34
TY 34
ILILITY
I
PRROODDUUCCTTIVIVITITYY
P IP P
IP RP
ORT
OT
ECE
TA B
SAWV SC rank: 34
& S STA
B
TCITO
INON3
LICIYCY &
Population: 5,492,677
737
8 POL
GDP: 96
SS383 PO
ININ
R&D/GDP: 0.81
TETN
11.99
EN
11.99
SISTIYTY4848
NN
AITOIO
D
DADT
ENENT.
UO
T.
S
22 SUUP
Republic increases one spot this CE22 PP POR
OR T 29
FORCE
year to 34th. Thats considerably better EDUC./WOORRKKFOR T 29
EDUC./W
than its 50th showing on the Nature Index
2015 Global. Despite that low output on
the Nature Index, a PubMed search on antifungal activity of the sunflower bee profiling the pathogenesis-related (PR)
February 20, 2016, for articles by Slovakian pollen was found in the frozen bee pollen proteins revealed that chitinases and
scientists that include the word biotech- extracts against Aspergillus ochraceus and glucanases were activated in wheat by
nology returned 120 results. Many of those freeze-dried bee pollen extracts against As- drought and that drought turns on wheats
studies pertain to agricultural biotechnol- pergillus niger. Another group of Slovakian protective action against oxidative stress
ogy. For instance, Slovakian scientists scientists published a study on the impact and dehydration of the leaves.
published a 2016 article in the Journal of of drought on wheats metabolism and the
Environmental Science and Health, Part activity of specific proteins in the Septem-
B on antimicrobial and antioxidants in ber 2015 Journal of Agricultural and Food
bee pollen, and they concluded: The best Chemistry, and the scientists showed that
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 51
South Africa
S
ince 2011, South Africas SC ranking (GE) crops in South Africa was unchanged
has bobbed mostly in the mid-30s, in 2014, at 2.9 million hectares, making
SAWV SC rank: 35 and it earned 35th place on the South Africa the ninth largest producer of
Population: 48,375,645 2016 SC and the Nature Index 2015 Global. GE crops in the world and by far the largest
Thats about as stable as a country can be. in Africa. This report also points out a few
GDP: 351
The USDA GAIN Report on July 14, 2015, advances: South Africa approved three
R&D/GDP: 0.73
indicated additional consistency: The new GE events for general release in 2014,
production area of Genetically Engineered which included two corn stacked events.
Twenty-five field or clinical trials permits
CTI
PRODU VITY were also authorized in 2014, including the
1 IP P
Y4 RO long-awaited drought tolerance in corn.
LIT T
In addition, on August 23, 2015, SABC
I
EC
AB
TIO
ST
2
POLIC
EN
FO
UP
CE
50 PO
RT those of other international regulatory
FOR 38
EDUC./WORK bodies such as the Food and Drug Admin-
istration (FDA) and European Medicines
Agency (EMEA).
Poland ILI
TY
32
CTI
PRODU VITY 22
IP
PR
OT
AB
SAWV SC rank: 36
EC
ST
TIO
Y&
Population: 38,346,279
N
POLIC
38
GDP: 518
R&D/GDP: 0.89
INTENSITY
223.93
ONS 41
DATI
I
n the past three years Poland has failed
25
UN
EN
T
E2 UP
RC PO
36th, from its position at 39th in 2014 ORKFO 48 RT
EDUC./W
and 2015. Coming in 34th on the Nature
Index 2015 Global, it just about equals its
SC average. The countrys participation in
agrobiotechnology appears uncertain, as a
The countrys participation in agrobiotechnology
2015 USDA GAIN Report noted: On Febru- appears uncertain.
ary 6, 2014 the Polish President signed
an amendment to the Act on genetically through an amendment to the Polish Seed hope to seek more international opportuni-
modifiedorganisms introducing stricter Act. And more bans lie ahead. The GAIN ties. For example, Krakow-based Selvita
rules to ensure greater safety associated Report adds: CurrentlyPoland contin- Polands largest biotechopened a facility
with the cultivation and use ofgenetically ues to import feeds enhanced through in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to expand its
modified organisms in laboratories. In biotechnology. On January 1, 2017, a ban work in drug discovery.
January 28, 2013 the Polish government on theimport of such feed is scheduled to
banned the cultivation of EU-approved enter into force. In other areas of biotech-
GEMon-810 maize and the Amflora potato nology, however, certain Polish companies
EC
BI
TIO
STA
SAWV SC rank: 37
N3
Y&
6
Population: 9,919,128
POLIC
GDP: 132
INTENSITY 22
74.42
IONS 35
R&D/GDP: 1.27
DAT
A
fter dropping to 41stmore than
UN
eight places below its SC average
EN
FO
T.
SU
of 32.8Hungary climbs to 37th E4
2 PP
OR
ORC T 47
this year. In addition, Hungarys 43% EDUC./WORKF
LIT
Y3
9
CTI
PRODU VITY 19
IP
PR
O
Italy Italy has a large and
BI
SAWV SC rank: 38
TE
STA
Population: 61,680,122
operating in the medical,
POLIC
27
GDP: 2,072
industrial, and agricultural
INTENSITY 3
R&D/GDP: 1.271,022.18
36
I
talys rank on the SC continues its
2
U
28 SU
CE PP
ORT is particularly weighed down by its En-
KFOR 49
EDUC./WOR
terprise Support and Foundations scores.
Although it ranked 11th on the Nature situation that biotech companies have to
CTIVITY 1 Index 2015 Global, Italys numbers are confront on a daily basis. It added: Italy
9
IP decreasing there, as well. Its overall output has a large and profitable biotech industry
PR
O on the Nature Index dropped by 3% from operating in the medical, industrial, and
TE
CT
2013 to 2014, and its leading institution agricultural sector, ranking 3rd in Europe
ION
enced a 13.1% decrease in its publications Although this report indicated that 57%
INTENSITY 3
1,022.18 on the Nature Index from 2013 to 2014. of Italys biotechnology companies work
Still, some indicators show promise for on healthcare, Italian scientists also
Italys biotechnology industry. A December contributed to the recent sequencing of
2
2015 USDA GAIN Report stated: Again, the globe artichoke, which can be eaten
EN
T.
SU
PP this year, Italys biotechnology industry is or turned into biofuel. So its clear Italian
ORT
ED
49 characterized as a dynamic and promis- scientists are working across the range of
ing sector, despite the difficult economic biotechnology.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 53
PRODUCTIVITY in 2015. In comparison, the same search
29 IP
PR
TY for U.S. authors found 2,586 articles. Some
ILI O
TE
AB
CT
ST
ION
Y&
45
Vanagsfounder and CEO of Riga-based
Biotehniskais Centrs, which makes bioreac-
INTENSITY
ONS 34
4.78
torsthinks that Latvia can improve its
DATI
EN
46
SU
PP T. business, which he pointed out at the Bio-
CE
KFOR
OR
T 30 Forum 2015 in Wroclaw. Like other smaller
EDUC./WOR
players in biotechnology, Latvias scientists
benefit from international collaborations
Latvia
A
lthough Latvia debuted on the SC at on research. For instance, Latvian authors
44th in 2012 and dropped to 50th worked with colleagues from Poland and
SAWV SC rank: 39 in 2013, its ranked in the upper the Slovak Republic in an article in the
Population: 2,165,165 30s for the past three years. On the Nature January 2016 JournalofEnvironmental Sci-
GDP: 31 Index 2015 Global, however, its publish- enceandHealth, PartB, which described
R&D/GDP: 0.65 ing output gave it a 77th ranking globally. using the polymerase chain reaction on
Its publishing in biotechnology doesnt wine to isolate lactic-acid bacteria that
look any better. A search of PubMed for causes the beverage to spoil. Such collabo-
Latvian authors on articles using the word rations increase opportunities in countries
biotechnology only turned up 12 examples still building a biotechnology industry.
SAWV SC rank: 40
CT
ST
Population: 27,345,986
46
POLIC
A
veraging 36.3 on the SC, Saudi
DAT
in other countries.
4
EN
F
.S
11 UP
a ranking of 38th. Given those numbers, it CE PO
RKFOR RT 3
6
EDUC./WO
comes as a bit of a surprise that a search match users needs, integrate innovative
of PubMed foundUC382 articles in 2015 with programs, and adopt new technologies.
PROD TIVITY
authors42from Saudi Arabia thatIP included
PR
Other areas of this countrys biotechnol-
Y
LIT
the Iword O
biotechnology. Its comparatively ogy could also use some adjustment. As a
TE
AB
CT
ST
low output on the Nature Index suggests June 2015 USDA GAIN Report pointed out:
ION
Y&
that many of the articles come from Currently, there are no ongoing commer-
46
POLIC
countries. In the February 2016 Trends in 88.66 engineered (GE) plants in Saudi Arabia.
36
TIONS
Microbiology, for example, scientists with Although this report mentioned work on GE
affiliations in Germany, Portugal and Saudi seeds at some of the countrys universities,
NDA
EN
education and training at the European ies have been developed thus far by these
T
.S
11 UP
CE PO
RKFOR
Microbial Resource Centers, and they con- RT 3
6 universities that may be commercialized in
EDUC./WO
cluded: Urgent adjustments are needed to the next few years.
ILI
TY
48 IP
PR
O
China place Harvard Universitys output by more
than 50%. Still, other indicatorsincluding
TE
SAWV SC rank: 41
ST
CT
the SCshow that publishing volume alone
ION
Y&
40
GDP: 9,469 The 2015 BCI ranked Chinas position as a
INTENSITY 2
ONS 32
D
espite no significant change in Chi- much more is required in terms of building
8
UN
nas SC rank since 2014, it finishes the scientific research base and infrastruc-
FO
EN
T.
CE
49
SU
PP
OR
second on the Nature Index 2015 ture. Like the inconsistent performance in
OR
EDUC./WOR
KF T 31
Global. Indicating even higher publish- these areas, other biotechnology-related
ing performance, its output on the Nature factors suggest conflicting indications. For
UCTIVITY 1
4
IP Index grew by 16% from 2013 to 2014, and example, a December 2015 USDA GAIN
PR
O 23 of its institutes made the top 200in- Report noted: China is one of the largest
TE
cluding the Chinese Academy of Sciences, producers of biotech cotton in the world. It
CT
ION
which ranked first and surpassed second- is also the worlds largest importer of bio-
40
SU
PP push ahead with the commercialization of
OR
EDU
T 31 biotech corn.
UCTIV
PPRROODDUCTIVIITTYY
4400 IIPP PP recent work appeared in high-impact publi-
TYY RROO
LLIIT TT cations, including a January 2016 article in
II
EECCT
AABB
TIIOO
NN 334
CYY &&
NSSIITTYY 441
EENN
U
FFOO
TT..
UUP
3355 PPPO
ORRT
FFO
ORRCCEE T 5511 activity is constrained in higher eukary-
WOORR
EEDDUUCC..//W K
K
otes. This international team of research-
D
espite ranking below its average for cancer-related gene into a treatment. This
the past three years, Greece can ap- is another example of the potential of turn-
preciate its slow upward movement ing natural systems into defense against
since 2014. It performed better on the disease, and the value of biotechnology to
Nature Index 2015 Global where it claimed help scientists explore and modify systems
33rd. Moreover, some Greek scientists to improve lives around the world.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 55
PRODUCTIVITY Nonetheless, Mexico outscored all of the
47 IP
TY PR
O
ILI BRICsBrazil, Russia, India and Chinaon
TE
AB
CT
the 2015 BCI. However, the countrys
ST
ION
Y&
44
POLIC
INTENSITY 16
2015 USDA GAIN Report, a federal judge
IONS 49
80.64
effectively suspended the plantings of all
GE corn in Mexico by placing a provisional
DAT
UN
EN
43
SU
PP T. no clear timeline for solution after almost
CE OR
KFOR T 35 two years. Concerns about Mexicos corn
EDUC./WOR
crop were also expressed by the Inter-
national Service for the Acquisition of
Mexico
S
ince 2011, a finish in the low 40s Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), which
has been the best that Mexico could recently wrote: It is hoped that Mexico
SAWV SC rank: 43 muster, but it showed more promise will adopt a national, science-based strat-
Population: 120,286,655 on the Nature Index 2015 Global, with egy that will protect the centers of origin
a ranking of 34th and an increase in its of maize, and will ensure that Mexico will
GDP: 1,261
article output of almost 10% from 2013 benefit from biotech maize which can
R&D/GDP: 0.43
to 2014. Still, Mexico performed poorly contribute to national food security and
on the 2015 BCI, which rated the country mitigate new challenges, such as more
as having a limited ability to compete. frequent and severe droughts.
TE
noted: The market access environment is
CT
ST
Population: 142,470,272
ION
Y&
GDP: 2,097
50
and anti-counterfeiting actions are quite
R&D/GDP: 1.13 weak. Some local sources, however, hope
INTENSITY 9
343
ONS 38
R
ussias SC ranking improves again The Russian Times reported that Russias
DATI
this year, moving up three places. BIO2020 program aims for global competi-
OUN
EN
F
TE
Russia finished third from the bottom and On the Nature Index 2015
CT
ST
ION
Y&
50
343.91
ONS 38
EN
F
SU
0 PP
From the perspective of local executives E3 OR
RKFORC T 44
EDUC./WO
there is only rudimentary quality control of
biomedical products across most clinical
and manufacturing phasesleaving the
TE
BI
SAWV SC rank: 45
CT
STA
ION
Y&
Population: 67,741,401
53
POLIC
GDP: 387
INTENSITY 3
R&D/GDP: 0.39 24.39
IONS 47
B
etween 2014 and 2016, Thailand
DAT
8
UN
bounced around the 40s in the SC
FO
EN
rankingsfrom low to high and back
T.
6 SU
CE PP
to the mid-40s. Even so, this is a far better
OR
RKFOR T 19
EDUC./WO
showing than its bottom-of-the-list perfor-
mance in 2013. Similarly, Thailand ranked
42nd on the Nature Index 2015 Global. On could improve that capability even more. policy makersin both government and par-
the plus side, its National Biotechnology Experts are applauding Thailands efforts so liament. However, it may take a few years
Policy Framework aims to push the country far, and express tempered optimism about to revoke a ban on biotech fieldtrials in the
much higher as an international force in the its future prospects. A September 2015 country. Like many other countries that
industry. In particular, that framework seeks USDA GAIN Report stated: Thailand made perform poorly on the SC, Thailand needs
to improve biotechnology education and some progress in 2015 on laying out a draft to drastically improve its IP Protection, as
training. Among the SC categories, Thailand regulatory framework on adoptingagricul- well as its reputation in the SC category of
already performs the best in Education/ tural biotechnology. Thai biotech propo- Policy & Stability. A strong biotechnology
Workforce, and the governments plans nents are likely to gain more support from industry must do well in these areas.
CT
ST
ION
43
POLIC
63.28
ONS 44
EN
T.
0
4 SU
RC
E PP
OR for soybeans. As these indicators suggest,
KFO T 45
Turkey faces a broad challenge if it wants
EDUC./WOR
T
urkeys SC ranking has hovered fact, its ranking on all of the SC categories
in the mid-40s over the past four fall into the bottom half of the coun-
years, showing no real trend up or tries included, and in all but one of the
down. On the Nature Index 2015 Global, categories Turkey is ranked in the bottom
Turkey ranked 36th, and it produced a 34% fourth. That creates plenty of room for
increase in publishing output from 2013 improvement.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 57
Brazil the patenting process, is bureaucratic and
generally ineffective. The SC shows Brazils
for innovative biotechnology. In every other
SC category, however, Brazil ranks in the
SAWV SC rank: 47 desire, because it ranks near the top quarter bottom fourth. Indeed the country finishes
Population: 204,259,812 for Intensity, which is the SC category that third from last, in fact, in Enterprise Support.
GDP: 2,246 gives the best indicator of how hard a country The good news is that this leaves Brazil with
R&D/GDP: 1.15 works at creating the necessary environment many avenues to climb the SC.
A
n SC ranking slide for Brazil started The SC shows Brazils desire, because it ranks near the top
in 2014, when it dropped from 36th
quarter for Intensity.
to 45th, and then it lost another spot
each of the next two yearsputting it at it
all-time low of 47th in 2016. Unfortunately, PRODUCTIVITY
46 IP
TY PR
O
the news from the 2015 BCI index, where it ILI
TE
AB
CT
finished last, is just as bad. The BCI report
ST
ION
Y&
stated: Despite holding strong aspirations
47
POLIC
INTENSITY 1
biotech sectors, Brazil still has a long way to
ONS 48
222.22
go to reach its potential for investment. In
DATI
6
UN
EN
red tape. The report went on: Widespread,
T.
7
4 SU
CE PP
OR
draconian price controls hinder market EDUC./WORKFOR T 52
access. Moreover, the IP system, particularly
PRODUCTIVITY
ILI
TY
36 IP
PR
O Puerto Rico did include Puerto Rican authors were
produced by large international teams. For
AB
TE
CT
ION
Y&
I
n some ways, Puerto Ricos biggest States and two from Brazil. At present,
NDA
EN
FO
place thats interested in biotechnology. Puerto Ricos best strategy for advertising
T.
SU
1 PP
E4 OR
FORC T 33 Having joined the SC in 2013, this year its biotechnology aspirations.
EDUC./WORK
it plummets from the 31st spot to 48th.
Moreover, a lack of data keeps Puerto Rico
from being measured in three of the seven
Puerto Ricos biggest SC categories. It might be easy to argue
challenge is exposure that more data would not paint a better
being seen as a place thats biotechnology picture for Puerto Rico. Its
scientists published just 13 biotechnol-
interested in biotechnology. ogy-related articles in 2015, based on a
PubMed search. Granted, many relevant
articles might not include that word, but
the exercise still serves as a helpful met-
ric; the same search for Maltaone of the
worlds smallest countriesrevealed seven
articles. Those biotechnology articles that
AB
OT
SAWV SC rank: 49
ST
EC
TIO
Y&
Population: 1,236,344,631
N
POLIC
42
GDP: 1,877
INTENSITY
R&D/GDP: 0.82
ONS 50
870.13
I
DATI
f effort alone equated with success in
27
UN
biotechnology, India might top the SC
FO
EN
and other indices. At the end of 2015,
T.
52 SU
CE PP
India released a new National Biotechnol- KFOR ORT
42
EDUC./WOR
ogy Development Strategy, and some of its
key goals included generating biotechnol-
ogy products, increasing bio-manufactur-
ing and producing biofuels. In fact, Shell especially India, whereas public develop- from the bottom ranks in biomedical com-
India Markets plans to build a biofuel ers of the technology are appearing in petitiveness. Local executives particularly
plant in Bangalore. Its 13th place ranking India and China. Nonetheless, the 2015 noted the presence of major regulatory de-
on the Nature Index 2015 Global suggests BCI described India as facing a struggling ficiencies and bottlenecks and very limited
that some of Indias efforts are paying off. ability to compete, and noted: India coverage of medicines, even with costs
Also, on January 8, 2016, an online article possesses the foundation and potential driven down. In addition, they highlighted
from Nature Biotechnology reported: Most for becoming a hub of biopharmaceutical major gaps in Indias biopharmaceutical IP
new companies emerging in the GM field innovationbut currently faces several protection that render the system overall
are based in the United States and in Asia, major structural barriers to moving up ineffective.
RODUCTIVITY
PPRODUCTIVITY corn area in 2014. That trend might slow
Y4499 IPIP PR
T
LTIY PR O down as the countrys Supreme Court and
O
ILII
TETEC
B
ATBA
CT TIO
IONN 3
DATI IONS 54 POLILCIYCY&
ININTETN
ENE
48 8 SUS
.
UPPO
concluded: According to experts, further
CE 4
KFOORRCE PORT
RT550
EEDDUCC./.WOR KF
U /WOR 0
delays in commercializing Philippine GE
research are expected to erode the coun-
Philippines
F
or the past four years, the Philippines trys GE regional leadership status, and in
ranked 51st or 50th on the SC, a bit general terms, may dampen the long term
SAWV SC rank: 50 below its overall average. This country competitiveness of Philippine agriculture.
Population: 107,668,231 also droppedby 45%on its publishing Furthermore, basic biotechnology capabili-
GDP: 272 output on the Nature Index from 2013 to ties require attention in the Philippines, as
R&D/GDP: 0.11 2014. The news, however, is not all bad. indicated by the SC categories.
A July 2015 USDA GAIN Report calls the
Philippines a regional biotechnology
leader and a model for science-based GE
regulatory policy. The report added: GE
corn has been on sale in the country since
2003, and comprised a fourth of total
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 59
PRODUCTIVITY
44 IP
ILI
TY PR
O
Kuwait how biofilmsenriched with microorgan-
TE
AB isms from sewagecould be used in envi-
CT
ST
ION
SAWV SC rank: 51
Y&
52
POLIC
INTENSITY 46
GDP: 176 established on glass slides by submerging
ONS 40
1.83
R&D/GDP: 0.1 them in oil-free and oil-containing sewage
effluent for a month. It was concluded
DATI
A
UN
relative newcomer to the SC, Kuwait that man-made biofilms based upon
FO
EN
joined the list in 2013, and its sewage microflora are promising tools for
T.
3
5 SU
landed in the bottom five half the bioremediation of hydrocarbons contami-
E PP
RC ORT
KFO 43
EDUC./WOR
time, including this year. Some scientists nating sewage effluent. Kuwaits low rank-
in Kuwait, however, envision a stronger lo- ing in IP protection on the SC, however,
PRODUCTIVITY
IP
PR
cal biotechnology industry. Kuwait Univer- creates an impediment to companies from
O
sitys Biotechnology Center, for example, other countries performing research and
TE
CT
provides a home for research that ranges manufacturing in the country. The coun-
ION
from clinical projects to environmental tryfinishing second from last on the SCs
52
SU
PP
ORT
EDUC./WO
43 scientists at Kuwait University described
T
o build an innovative ecosystem for animals and animal products are still very
biotechnology, Indonesia needs a IP Protection to creating long-term. Indonesias performance on the
range of improvements, from IP Pro- a trained workforce. SC also depicts a need for long-term goals.
tection to creating a trained workforce. Its
ongoing low SC ranking, as well as its tiny
output on the Nature Index 2015 Global, PRODUCTIVITY
50 IP
PR
portrays the need for investmentfinan- TY O
ILI
TE
AB
ION
Y&
EN
2 .S
E3 UP
commercial GE seed varieties approved for KFORC
46
PO
RT
EDUC./WOR
planting in Indonesia. Nonetheless, the
AB
TE
SAWV SC rank: 53
CT
ST
ION
Y&
Population: 44,291,413
POLIC
49
GDP: 178
INTENSITY
R&D/GDP: 0.75
ONS 46
34.07
DATI
F
inishing second from last on the
44
UN
SC for the past three years, Ukraine
FO
EN
faces a long battle to gain ground in
T
3 .S
CE UP
international biotechnology. IP Protection, RKFOR 53
PO
RT
EDUC./WO
in particular, creates a difficult obstacle,
and one in need of attention soon. As an
August 2015 USDA GAIN Report indicated: shaping its policy in line with European
The Intellectual Property Rights protec- Union standards. Ukraine also showed
Allowing biotechnology
tion policy for GE events has not yet been some evidence of moving forward when
developed in Ukraine. The report went so crops could feed more it registered Monsantos Roundup-Ready
far as to add that biotechnology in general animals and people. soybeans for use in feed. Allowing biotech-
was not given much attention in Ukraine nology crops could feed more animals and
in 2014early 2015 because political and For example, the GAIN Report declared: people, which could be very helpful since
economic issues took priority. In some The biotechnology regulatory system in one goal of the UNDP, the development
respects, though, the country appears to be Ukraine is still not fully developed, but arm of the United Nations, is to eradicate
attempting to patch some of the problems. the country has committed itself towards extreme hunger and poverty in Ukraine.
PRODUCTIVITY
53 IP
PR
TY
ILI O
TE
AB
CT
ST
ION
Y&
biotechnology crops.
INTENSITY
98.75
ONS 51
DATI
T.
4
CE
4 SU
PPO technology crops. According to ISAAAs lat-
FOR RT
EDUC./WORK 54 est data: Argentina maintained its rank-
ing as the third largest producer of biotech
crops in the world in 2014, occupying 13%
Argentina
A
lthough much of Argentinas bio- of 181.5 million hectares of global biotech
technology news is not good, there crop hectarage. For several cropscorn,
SAWV SC rank: 54 are some positive signs. First, the cotton and soybeansbiotech versions
Population: 43,431,886 bad: It finished last on the SC for the past made up most if not all of the plantings:
GDP: 610 three years, with low scores across the cat- 80%, 100% and 100%, respectively. That
R&D/GDP: 0.58 egories. The 2015 BCI report added more reliance on biotechnology-based crops
evidence of the need for improvement by generates large financial returns. As ISAAA
categorizing the country as having a lim- noted: Argentinas benefits from biotech
ited ability to compete, ranked just above crops from 1996 to 2013 is estimated at
the BRICs and Turkey. The BCI pointed out US$17.5 billion, and the benefits for 2013
part of Argentinas IP problemit has very alone is estimated at US$1.9 billion. That
low levels of professional and institutional is all very good news!
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 61
Helping people do more,
feel better, live longer.
As a leading vaccine company, we are committed to
helping protect people from serious diseases.
Every day we distribute nearly 2 million vaccines to over 170 countries
just over 70% going to the developing world.
WWW.GSK.COM
U
ltimately, a countrys performance in biotechnology comes Although most countries show growth in this area, some dont.
down to output, and publicly traded companies offer objec- Last year, Ireland was the only top 10 country to see a drop in
tive insight on this. The lack of transparency in private its biotechnology market capitalization. This year, its number of
firms makes them less useful for such a comparison. To compare public biotechnology companies dropped from three to one and its
outputs around the world, we analyze the market capitaliza- market cap has been decimateddropping from US$6.4 billion to
tionthe market value of outstanding shares for publicly traded US$560 million. 40
biotechnology companiesand the number of publicly traded
biotechnology companies, based on available data (Morrison,
C., Lhteenmki, R. Nat. Biotechnol. 33, 703709 (2015), and
company disclosures). In brief, the results can be explained in one
word: growth.
Even in an environment of global growth for the market 1,000
capitalization of publicly traded biotechnology companies, the
United States remains the leaderfar and away. In our 2015 issue, 800
S
TE
TA
we reported that the U.S. market capitalization was roughly 4.8
PUBLIC BIOTECHNOLOGY
DS
600
MARKET CAP (US$ BN)
times the ex-U.S. global total, and now its roughly 5.5 times the
ITE
UN
global total. Traditionally, Australia has shown the second-largest
400 30
growth and had the second-largest market capitalization, but this
past year the United Kingdom outshined Australia on both fronts. 200
Although Australia added US$698 million to its biotechnology EX-US
market capitalization, for a total of US$38 billion, the United
Kingdom added a staggering US$17 billion, bringing the countrys
biotechnology market capitalization to US$46 billion.
RALIA
AUST 20
M
DO
NG
KI
ND
RLA
ITZE
SW
CE 10
AN
IRELA FR
ND
DS
ERLAN
NETH SWEDEN
GERMANY
BELGIU CANADA CHINA
AUST M NO
RIA RW
ISRAEL INDIA AY
HONG KONG JAPAN TAIWAN
ITALY
ICELAND RUSSIA FINLAND POLAND NEW ZEALAND SPAIN
WV2010
WV2014
WV2016
WV2013
WV2015
WV2012
WV2011
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRIA
BELGIUM
CANADA
CHINA
DENMARK
FINLAND
FRANCE
GERMANY
HONG KONG
ICELAND
INDIA
IRELAND
ISRAEL
ITALY
JAPAN
NETHERLANDS
NEW ZEALAND
NORWAY
POLAND
1 RUSSIA
SPAIN
SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND
TAIWAN
UK
UNITED STATES
Last year, we also reported an increase in the number of publicly 60%. France experiences close to 30% growth, adding six companies
traded biotechnology companies, and that trend continues. Compared to bring its total to 28. For the United Kingdom, where the market
to last year, the United States has 46 more publicly-traded biotech- capitalization of biotechnology companies grew by more than 60%,
nology companies, an increase of about 17.5%. Other increases are the number of publicly traded companies remains unchanged at 23.
scattered around the globe. Israel adds seven publicly traded com- So this shows, yet again, that experts must explore the biotechnol-
panies, bringing its total to 18, which is an increase of more than ogy landscape from a variety of angles to get the complete picture.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 65
CHANGING HUBS
Pharmaceutical R&D sprouts secondary
centers of collaboration
L
ast year, we presented research on where drug patent inven-
19962000 AU
tors live (Products of the Environment, Scientific American
Worldview 2015). The surprising observation was that innova- FI
tion is difficult to move. Over the span of decades, pharmaceutical
innovation wasand remainsstrongest in the United States, GB
Western Europe and Japan. Following this research, another group SE
45
UNITED KINGDOM
UNITED STATES
NETHERLANDS
SAUDI ARABIA
NEW ZEALAND
SWITZERLAND
SOUTH KOREA
HONG KONG
SINGAPORE
AUSTRALIA
MALAYSIA
THAILAND
GERMANY
DENMARK
BELGIUM
NORWAY
AUSTRIA
FINLAND
IRELAND
SWEDEN
CANADA
TAIWAN
POLAND
FRANCE
ISRAEL
JAPAN
CHINA
SPAIN
CHILE
INDIA
GB FI
IT
IT
AR SE US
BE
CA
JP
US
SE GB
BE
CH FR AU
CZ DE
JP
IN NL CN
PL
IL
IE AT
ES
IT
20012005
B
uilding a biotechnology industry Country Attractiveness Index aggregates index authors statement that investors in
requires some form of risk capital, such more than 300 metrics and goes beyond VC and private equity funds often set their
as venture capital (VC). For reasons the factors measured in the Scientific sights on emerging regions, the top-ranked
beyond the scope of this summary, venture American Worldview Scorecard to include countries are all established markets. This
capital is often far more aggressive than the factors such as economic activity, taxation is something that we also note in our dis-
other funding sources, and a countrys attrac- and investor protection (the index is only cussion of Policy & Stability: The greatest
tiveness to VC can also indicate the extent to given here in part, and the full list is avail- opportunities tend to be in the countries
which free-market conditions favor growth. able at: http://blog.iese.edu/vcpeindex). A that have the potential to become more
The Venture Capital & Private Equity surprising observation is that despite the attractive markets, rather than those that
currently are attractive markets.
COUNTRY ATTRACTIVENESS
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
CZECH REPUBLIC
SOUTH AFRICA
LUXEMBOURG
PHILIPPINES
MAURITIUS
LITHUANIA
INDONESIA
PORTUGAL
COLOMBIA
SLOVAKIA
BULGARIA
SLOVENIA
HUNGARY
MOROCCO
ROMANIA
BAHRAIN
VIETNAM
ESTONIA
PANAMA
ICELAND
JORDAN
TURKEY
ZAMBIA
MEXICO
RUSSIA
LATVIA
BRAZIL
OMAN
ITALY
PERU
SOURCE: The Venture Capital & Private Equity Country Attractiveness Index, 2015 Annual. Groh, A., Liechtenstein, H., Lieser, K., Biesinger, M. IESE Business School.
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 67
A LATIN AMERICAN MINI-SCORECARD
In Central and South America, more data shake Output indicates the number of granted patents in a country
up the rankings plus its publications in the BIOSIS index. We use BIOSIS, rather
I
n an effort to expand our coverage of biotechnology and than MEDLINE, in order to search beyond human healthrelated
to provide a deeper understanding of a specific region, we biology applications. Intensity captures a countrys science and
modified our analysis methodology for Central and South technology expenditure per GDP. The Workforce metric provides
America. On the Scientific American Worldview Scorecard, the number of researchers per 1,000 workers, while Education
we only analyze countries that appear in particular objective measures the total doctorate graduates per million people.
sets of data, which excludes many nations in this zone. Interestingly, although Brazil scores first on this mini-
Nonetheless, using data from the Network for Science Scorecard, it placed lower than Chile and Mexico on the broader
and Technology Indicators Ibero-American and Inter-American Scientific American Worldview Scorecard. This might reflect the
(RICYT), we built an innovation index that includes 17 countries advantage that we intentionally give to countries for which we
only four of which are on the full Scorecard. do not have data. Rather than assign these nations a zero score
This modified analysis employs the same broad methodology for categories in which they lack statistics, we simply ignore the
as the Scientific American Worldview Scorecard. Every countrys missing information in our analysis. Indeed, some countries would
performance on each metric is normalized from 0 to 10, where rank lower on the Scientific American Worldview Scorecard if all
the highest-scoring nation gets a 10, and the lowest-scoring data were available. For example, the overall Scorecard con-
one a zero. Then, we take the average of all of a countrys scores tains figures for low biotechnology patent activity in Brazil and
(ignoring any metrics for which we have no data), and normalize Mexico, but no data for Argentina or Chile. Furthermore, this Latin
it on a scale from 0 to 50. As in the Scorecard, the normalization American mini-Scorecard measures far fewer elements than the
is unweighted, meaning that we do not dictate which factors are full Scorecard, so we encourage you to take into consideration the
more important than others. impact of data gaps when evaluating both Scorecards.
0
15
10
25
35
20
30
BRAZIL
ARGENTINA
MEXICO
CHILE
CUBA
COSTA RICA
URUGUAY
COLOMBIA
PARAGUAY
ECUADOR
BOLIVIA
VENEZUELA
PANAMA
JAMAICA
NICARAGUA
OUTPUT
INTENSITY
EDUCATION
WORKFORCE
WORLDVIEW SCORECARD 69
GUATEMALA
BRIGHT
HORIZONS 30
TM
InSight_Cruise_BH30_West_Coast_LH.indd
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dark energy, remains completely mysteri-
ous. Well discuss this great challenge and
the various efforts on Earth and in space to
understand this dark side of the cosmos.
Physics (cont.)
Speaker: Clara Moskowitz What Do Scientific American
Editors Read?
Hubbles Universe
Well examine some of the most famous Speakers: Steve Mirsky, M.Sc.
photographs from the Hubble Space Tele- and Robin Lloyd, Ph.D.
scope. Learn how these images were created
Which newspapers, journals, feeds, and
and how scientists turned the raw data into
websites do Scientific American editors read?
the colorful works of art we see. Finally, well
How do we filter the fire hose of news and
discuss the future outlook for Hubble and its
information every day to get the most valu-
successor, the James Webb Space Telescope. able drops on the latest breakthroughs and
innovations? Well discuss a recent survey
The Particle Zoo Behind the Scenes of our staff on cutting-edge sources of
Well take a tour through natures fundamen- information.
tal particles, from the familiar ingredients The Evolution of Antievolution
of the atoms that make up you and me, to How the Science Sausage Gets Made
the more exotic species such as neutrinos. Speaker: Steve Mirsky, M.Sc.
Hear the story of how we discovered some Evolution has been a subject of waxing Speakers: Steve Mirsky, M.Sc.
of these particles and the outlook for finding and waning controversy since the day that and Robin Lloyd, Ph.D.
new species. Darwin published The Origin of Species. Whats it like to be a science journalist?
Well look at some of the history of the anti- Hear the inside story from writers Steve
evolution movement, with special attention Mirsky and Robin Lloyd, who have been
to the creationist science and intelligent at Scientific American for 11 and four years,
design efforts of the past three decades, as respectively. Theyll talk about how science
well as famous court trials. gets turned into articles and some of the
more amazing moments that have occurred
during that process.
InSight_Cruise_BH30_West_Coast_RH.indd
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THE STATE OF INNOVATION
A Special Report by
Contributing Editor RENEE MORAD
Illustrations by GREG BETZA
With its world-class institutions, business-friendly resources and first-rate workforce, New Jersey
S
Americas original biopharmaceutical heartlandis an unyielding driver of 21st-century biotech innovation
cientific American Worldview recently set out bie Hart, president and CEO of BioNJ, a trade group and
to identify one stateacross our nations road- leading influencer of biotech advancement in the region,
map of thriving biotechnology centerswhere kicked off the roundtable conversation by explaining that
a multitude of factors are converging to gen- New Jersey has long been known as the medicine chest of
erate exceptional biopharma growth and po- the world, with more than 50% of new drugs approved by
tential. While regions like San Francisco and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year
Boston, with their flowing venture capital dollars funding coming from companies with a footprint in New Jersey.
biotech start-ups from the ground up, certainly piqued our Jeremy Abbate, publisher of Scientific American World-
interest, we embarked on a less obvious route and swung view, added that, as a legacy biopharma state, the region
onto the New Jersey Turnpike, through territory better has the infrastructure, outsourcing capabilities and sheer
known for its tollbooths, shores and smokestacks. As ac- brainpower to create unique pathways to biotech success.
tor, comedian and Jersey native Joe Piscopo might quip, Several of the industrys thought leaderswith back-
What exit? Lets just say our road trip led us throughout grounds ranging from academia and state policy to small
the Garden States bustling biotech sector, with its bum- start-ups and major pharma companiesshared their
per-to-bumper innovationimmunotherapies taking the candid thoughts about why they chose to set their profes-
express lane to market, enzymatic biofuel cells revving up sional roots in the Garden State, how they arrived at their
the oxidation process, and independent simulation centers current stage and where their company or institutions
cutting in to better educate healthcare professionals and future innovation is headed.
revolutionize the patient experience. What weve captured below are some snippets these
In the quaint Stage Left Restaurant in New Bruns- leaders sharedboth during our roundtable talk and in
wick, some two-dozen leaders driving New Jerseys life follow-up conversations afterthat demonstrate how New
sciences industry gathered in February to discuss how Jerseys ecosystem continues to provide an atmosphere for
the nations original biopharmaceutical heartland is biotechs big and small that lives up to the state motto
now particularly ripe for biotechnology ventures. Deb- Liberty and Prosperity.
O
at brain disease
new area of discovery to get that new
n May 25, 1961, Presi- analysis, which is really integrating the generation of medications. One way
dent John F. Kennedy various aspects of science to achieve a to do that is de-risking. FDA is sitting
told the U.S. Congress: goal. What we dont have in neurosci- on all these data from previous clini-
I believe that this na- ence today is the ability to integrate all cal trials, and FDA can act as a traffic
tion should commit science across all the different brain dis- cop or crossing guard, if you will, for
itself to achieving the goal, before this orders and to find the algorithms that drug companies to know whether they
decade is out, of landing a man on the are going to allow us to better identify should spend a lot of money on some-
moon and returning him safely to the answers to Parkinsons by researching thing, because maybe its already been
Earth. Just eight years lateron July Alzheimers or traumatic brain injury explored by some other drug company
20, 1969the crew of Apollo 11 ac- or ALS and vice versa. at some other point. That would be of
complished the Presidents objective. First, these things can be made great value to all of us, and there has
On the 50th anniversary of Kennedys possible through the integration of to be a way that can be worked out
speech, his nephewthe Honorable science, which currently is not the amongst the drug companies.
Patrick Kennedymade a pledge of paradigm of the way NIHthe U.S. Also, FDA is still operating with
his own by launching One Mind, a National Institutes of Healthfunds these big clinical trials where theyre
nonprofit that fights brain disease. these clinical trials. Second, the way trying to test one molecule against a
Patrick Kennedy made time to talk NIH funds the research is incongru- whole population, but the future is in
about his vision with Mike May. ent with the way that FDAthe U.S. having the molecule target the right
Food and Drug Administrationulti- subtype of the population. So there
MIKE MAY: When you think of New mately evaluates the research. In other may be a lot of discoveries that we
Jerseys experts forging ahead in words, there isnt a common research have already made that we dont know
biotechnology, medicine and science, track that ultimately can be expedited about. In other words, a drug for a
what do you have to say to them? to clinical approval. If youve done all particular disorder might have been
this great initial research, why not have rejected because it never worked for a
PATRICK KENNEDY: This is an op- the protocols embedded in it that will majority of the people or it had side
portunity of incredible possibility, in facilitate the learning curve for FDA to effects. But maybe for people with a
spite of it being a time of great peril. finally approve a given molecule? certain genetic type the benefits were
The challenges we have are ones that we demonstrably positive.
can overcome. Theyre challenges of po- M.M.: To make those changes, do
litical will. We launched One Mind on we have to go back to square one in M.M.: That gets back to your
the anniversary of my uncles famous terms of building these systems? concept of the systems-analysis
moonshot speech because in order to go approach. We hear so much about
to outer space, we needed to leverage the P.K.: No, this is all about political big data, and maybe lots of health-
supercomputing power of NASA and will. It can be done. To speed it up, you cares big data are already avail-
its ability to do whats known as systems could use FDA. Only the safest bets are able but have not been tapped.
I predict a 50% worldwide conversion from batch to con- He explains that all of the benefits researchers are current-
tinuous manufacturing in the small molecule area within ly achieving from the continuous manufacturing of small
the next 10 to 15 years, with $300 billion worth of prod- molecules can also be applied to biomolecules by expand-
ucts made from continuous manufacturing methods each ing the template or paradigm.
year, says Fernando Muzzio, director of C-SOPS. The New Jersey Turnpike is lined with exits that lead
Muzzio believes that continuous manufacturings to flourishing centers of innovation like C-SOPS. Cruising
transition to biotech could be just around the corner. past the diners and smokestacks, we quickly discovered
Continuous manufacturing is like an orchestra where that the Garden States hidden biotech hotspots are driv-
every instrument is playing from the same script, and to ing the industry toward a brighter futureno stopping or
make that transition over to biotech would be enormous. standing allowed.
P.K.: Thats right. The reason I men- ger cost on our national security and We would tap these new mecha-
tion these, just a few of these examples, our economy than our people being nisms, like these social innovation
is because they dont require us to have taken out by these brain illnesses. So bonds, and we could repay these bonds
a whole new tranche of money. I am if we treated it like the crisis that it simply by reducing the costs associ-
still a big advocate for more money is, we would do these savings bonds, ated with treating these disorders. You
for NIH, and my overall message to these patriot bonds. Weve got to win could reallocate the savings begotten
BioNJ and to others would be for us at all costs and thats why I would say from reducing the costs and the dis-
to have a brain bond, a savings bond we need new financing mechanisms ability associated with these disorders
for disorders that are the most crip- beyond the federal budget. to pay for the underlying bond.
pling, disabling disorders to not only Still, we have a capitalist system.
people but to our country. To bend the The only way were going to get people
cost curve in the next few decades, we to invest in this space is to have intellec-
need to start tomorrow, and the way tual property, and youve got to be very
to do that is to pretend that were in a sensitive to how we protect that while
war. Nothing is going to wreak a big- maximizing data sharing. We just have
to be very good at being a gatekeeper
for who gets to interrogate the science
and how they get to contribute to the
clinical research findings.
At One Mind, we invite the best
and brightest to look at our data as
were developing them, and then they
become part of the research because
they are able to give valuable feed-
back. If they come up with some valu-
able insight, well, then you can track
it and you can negotiate it with them
ahead of time to say that, If you add
some value to this, were going to ne-
gotiate your remuneration for that
value. Thats a better way to go than
everybody husbanding their data and
not realizing the datas potential, be-
cause no one bothered to connect
this data with that data. That happens
because everybody is so afraid that
theyre going to give up their IP, but
the IP might lie in the fact that youre
overlaying this data with that data.
Thats where the real value comes.
ADVAXIS
R.M.: The EDAs Commercialization idea, but that have conducted a litmus R.M.: Whats your advice for
Center for Innovative Technologies is test of efficacy, have some validation biotech entrepreneurs looking to
known as the states leading life sci- from, say, the U.S. National Institutes craft the perfect elevator pitch about
ences incubator. Can you share some of Health or have conducted a success- their product?
insight on the value that the incubator ful Phase I trial and have some initial
program provides to start-ups? level of funding, usually from friends K.C.: Its a little bit harder on the
and family. We provide what we believe biotech side because the science is so
K.C.: The Commercialization Center is nominal rentclass A space at class important, but it comes down to de-
provides 46,000 square feet of lab space B priceand the start-ups can stay livering an unmet medical need and
for up to 30 start-ups at any one time. for up to five years. We have watched addressing the human piece of it. Ive
Today, there are 21 companies, and start-ups begin here with just a couple seen a shift in the biotech industry
we are at capacity. We really look for employees and over time grow to hun- where theres finally a focus on pa-
companies that have more than just an dreds or thousands of employees in- tients and not just the science. BioNJ
ternationally. Once youre here, youre adopted the tagline Because Patients
always part of the family, and we often Cant Wait, and that idea really hits
bring successful graduating CEOs back home. It also hits home when talking
to mentor our newbies. We also have to investors. Entrepreneurs should
an executive-in-residence program focus on: Heres the big problem, and
that we launched in collaboration with heres how the technology will solve
BioNJ. This program brings primarily that problem. Dont get too scientific.
individuals who are in transition from Thats for the next meeting.
pharma, but are best-in-breed in their
domain expertisesuch as marketing
or strategic partnershipsto mentor
our tenant companies.
CHROMOCELL CORPORATION
When he looks back at his time in the incubator program,
Chromocell CEO Christian Kopfli says it wasnt just CCITs
discounted lab space and related services, providing advice
on everything from the regulatory
process to taxes, that ultimately po-
The incubator program has sitioned his company for success, but
also the sense there of collaboration
really built a solid connection with other entrepreneurs.
to the industry ... and is really The incubator program has re-
ally built a solid connection to the
active in establishing regular industrysurrounded by all the big
contact between the incubator pharmas like Merck, Bristol-Myers
participants and potential Squibb, Johnson & Johnson and
partners. Christian Kopfli Sanofiand is really active in estab-
lishing regular contact between the
incubator participants and potential
partners, he says.
Chromocell, which started out by commercializing
its Chromovert technology, focuses on therapeutic indi-
cations that leverage the ability of Chromovert to rapid-
ly create cell lines and assays that were previously out of
reach. With products in development for pain relief and
a division focused on flavors research, the company today
employs more than 120 people.
D
uring a recent visit to The Medicines Com-
panys facility in Parsippany, I was there as
a figure on a stretcher was rushed through
glass doors and the emergency medical
technician hurriedly shared with us every-
thing he knew so far: The patient just had a
motor-vehicle accident. Hes a kayaker and was heading to
a training session to prepare for a solo trip across the At-
lantic. He wasnt wearing a seatbelt and since the accident
has been having chest pains. As the emergency department
(ED) staff gather around to cut off his clothes and check his
vital signs, detecting elevated heart rate and blood pres-
sure, we learn that the injured party is 64-year-old Ad-
dison Bookwalter. Oh, and theres one more detail: Mr.
Bookwalter is a dummy, packed with sensors that react to
procedures and administered medications in real time. We
are, after all, at a high-tech independent simulation center,
where everything is real but the patients, explains Mike
Young, chief learning officer at The Medicines Company.
Here, those learning about acute- and intensive-care
products and procedures have the luxury of being able to
play with time. We can stop and teach as we go along,
Young says. The patients not going to die. Its well known
that preventable human error leads to an unconscionable
number of hospital deaths each yearwith figures rang-
ing from 98,000 annually according to a 1999 Institute of
Medicine report to as many as 440,000 a year in a 2013
study in the Journal of Patient Safety. Combating these sta-
tistics, simulation centers that offer healthcare profession-
als a chance to hone their skills before inheriting all the
risk that comes with time-sensitive environments are an
invaluable asset. Such learning centers have been corner-
stones of academic settings for years, but now independent
healthcare firms like The Medicines Company, a provid-
er of solutions in acute cardiovascular care, surgery and
perioperative care, and serious infectious-disease care, are
going out on a limb to provide the optimal setting to edu-
cate those using their portfolio of productsand several
states are offering vital support. The Medicines Companys
simulation center, in fact, received up to 50% of its funding
from the state of New Jersey.
Many ED doctors who have spent long days and nights
training in their academic institutions own simulation
centers agree that independent simulation centersthat
can improve patient outcomes and help healthcare pro-
fessionals work together more effectivelyare a step in
the right direction for the future of medicine. Simulation bosis. We then guide a wire into his radial artery, peering
centers can be hugely valuable in training physicians in closely at the monitor displaying an internal, 2-D view of
complex medical cases and also for training teams to work the wire to help direct us. When we cross the culprit lesion,
together as a dynamic unit, says Darria Long Gillespie, the patient reacts with a sudden drop in blood pressure.
national spokesperson for the American College of Emer- Suddenly, hes showing signs of cardiac arrest and coro-
gency Physicians and an ED doctor at Northside Hospital nary spasm, which requires defibrillation and a cocktail of
in Atlanta, Georgia. Patients are so different, and nobody drugs to stabilize.
follows the classic case that you read about in textbooks. As the PCI wraps up, Bookwalters condition is not
You can read books on how to treat a human, but only once improving and he continues to complain of severe back
you start will you realize what you dont know, and when pain. We palpate his abdomen and feel a pulsatile mass.
it comes to human lives, theres a lot less room for error. A bedside ultrasound reveals an abdominal aortic dissec-
Kevin Rodgers, president of the American Academy of tion, in which the largest artery branching off the heart
Emergency Medicine and professor of clinical emergency has torn, and hes swept away to the operating room for
medicine at Indiana University, says that in high-tech ar- another procedure.
eas of medicine where complex situations quickly unfold, In the OR, Jason Campagna, senior vice president,
having a group cater to a narrow and very specific scope health science, surgery and perioperative care for The Med-
at an independent simulation center could help curtail icines Company, says its imperative to place a graft inside
the rate of medical error, when taught properly. Michael his aorta quickly and avoid the risk of it bursting and him
Bain, CEO of Qualified Emergency Specialists, in Cincin- dying on the table. We just started major abdominal sur-
gery, and while we
watch the blood ac-
Theres more of a need today for simulation centers cumulating near the
that provide training in time-sensitive, specialty situations incision and check
and offer hands-on experience on anything from the monitor show-
ing his vital signs,
administering an IV to treating a cardiac arrest situation. were told we cannot
Michael Bain put a clamp across
his aorta until we
nati, Ohio, adds that since physicians-in-training have reduce his blood pressure significantly. So we administer
residency-hour restrictions that cap how long they are al- Cleviprex, an antihypertensive, in hopes of rapidly low-
lowed to work in a hospital over a certain period of time, ering his blood pressure. This is usually when the room
theres more of a need today for simulation centers that stands still, Campagna says. When you need to manage
provide training in time-sensitive, specialty situations and this level of complexity and have blood pressure drop sig-
offer hands-on experience on anything from administer- nificantly in a matter of minutes, theres really not a lot
ing an IV to treating a cardiac arrest situation. According of room for error. Campagna reminds us that we have to
to Young, while hours spent at a simulation center based at remain aware that very quicklyon a dimethings can
a hospital would count towards the residency restriction, change. Fortunately, our patients blood pressure comes
time spent at an independent simulation center would not. down, the procedure goes as well as can be expected and
At The Medicines Company, we quickly administer an we replay the various possible scenarios and outcomes
IV in Bookwalter, give him oxygen and begin brainstorm- aloud, analyzing our actions and deliberating on what else
ing a list of possible diagnoses, ranging from anxiety and we could have done.
stress to pulmonary embolism and aortic dissection. We call Everybodys got that patient that kept them up at
for labs, aiming to rule out as many scenarios as possible night, Ryan Scott Bardsley, director of education and
with the fewest number of diagnostics. We request an elec- translational research at The Medicines Company, ex-
trocardiogram, run some blood tests and take chest x-rays. plains, just before we hang up our lab coats and call it a
We find a blockage in an artery on the right side of his heart. day. Here, we try to break down the walls and expose
Immediately, the catheterization lab begins to pre- those vulnerabilities so theyre not repeated in the future.
pare for Bookwalter, where hell undergo a percutaneous Clearly, in this safe space, where art meets science and
coronary intervention (PCI) and likely receive a stent to medicine meets the movies, the simulation center provides
open his blocked artery. In the lab, we administer a cock- an intimate look at the way emergency treatment is evolv-
tail of drugs through an IV, including Kengreal, to protect ing in the here and now, while helping to ensure that real-
against the bodys natural responses to the procedure and life patients receive the best emergency care when time is
potential life-threatening complications like stent throm- of the essence.
A
t the Hackensack University Medical Centers
pediatric oncology unit, a group of young
patients recently gathered in the learning
center for an interactive science experiment
called CO2 to the Rescue. After being told
that in the United States alone $5 billion worth of cellphones
were destroyed by water damage over the past five years,
the participants were challenged to create an invention to
prevent cellphones from sinking. The group experimented
with different combinations of scoops of acids and baking
soda to create the ideal acid-base reaction that would in-
flate a Mylar balloon and, in turn, keep a cellphone afloat.
While the students in the learning center donned lab coats
and goggles, other patients, using camera-equipped lap-
tops, participated virtually from their hospital rooms.
The program is run by Students 2 Science, a New Jersey
nonprofit that introduces science, technology, engineering
and math (STEM) to young students in the hope of inspir-
ing their interest in STEM-related careers. When the group
isnt traveling to hospitals, education centers and Boys &
Girls Clubs of America, theyre welcoming students into
their own 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art laboratory
in East Hanover. You cant just leave it up to episodes
of NCIS and school lesson plans to motivate kids to pur-
sue careers in science,
says Paul Winslow, co-
founder and president of
You have to bring the learning experience to life and leave
Students 2 Science. You a strong impression. Paul Winslow
have to bring the learn-
ing experience to life and leave a strong impression. The experiments are available in more than 150 differ-
Today, some 5,000 students participate in the program ent languages, including sign language, and will roll out to
each year, with 65% coming from underserved, impover- seven states next year, including Florida, North Carolina
ished communities. Weteach by presenting the students and Georgia. In addition, Students 2 Science has created
with challenges that are career-oriented and equip them another program focused on educating science teachers by
with the tools to solve them. In the end, we hope to hear, I offering lab kits, videos and lesson plans to empower them
can do this, I would like to be a scientist, Winslow says. to run experiments on their own.
Offering experiments on everything from forensics Beginning in the 20162017 school year, Students 2
to food science, the program is all hands-on and incor- Science will also launch a collection of experiments spe-
porates modern instrumentation. Professional scientists cifically focused on biotechnology. This series will fea-
from major corporations, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, ture labs on generating biofuels from various agricultural
Daiichi Sankyo, Merck and Novartis, volunteer their time sources, studying diabetes and detecting hidden sugars in
and work alongside students. The partnership is really a processed foods, and identifying genetically modified food
win-win for everybody, Winslow explains. Corporations by extracting its DNA and analyzing the gene sequence.
need the next generation of skilled workers and students Were striving to educate the next generation of bio-
need to be prepared or at least aware of the types of life tech leaders, Winslow says. Hopefully, for some indi-
science jobs that exist and may be available. viduals, that seed of interest will begin in our laboratory.
HOTBED
along with an interest in pursuing at companies including Roche, Merck
projects on other subjects, such as tis- and Novartis. While the lab affords
sue engineering, inspired the launch of students an opportunity to gain prac-
Stevens Institute of Technology is the schools Biotechnology and Drug tical experience, it provides the local
molding tomorrows biotechnology Discovery Laboratory, which is part of workforce with an academic partner
innovators in a pioneering, the Center for Healthcare Innovation. for training and research. In the lab,
creative environment Today, the lab provides students with a students and faculty explore topics
N
complete preclinical infrastructure for such as protein structurebased and
ew Jersey is home to a drug discovery. What weve built here in silico drug screening and discovery,
number of world-class is a really unique center, offering stu- assay development and robotic drug
academic institutions dents comprehensive training across screening, preclinical gene cloning and
that radiate with in- the gamut of preclinical drug discov- purification of therapeutic proteins.
dustry know-how and ery, he explains. In keeping with New Jerseys tra-
are helping to shape the futures of Established with support from ditional role as a hub for biotech in-
next-generation life science profes- Roche, Merck and the New Jersey novation, Stevens is also taking steps
sionals. One example is Stevens Insti- Department of Labor and Workforce to integrate the concept of entrepre-
tute of Technology, a hotbed for in- Development, the Biotechnology and neurship into its curricula. Exposure
novation, where recent advancements Drug Discovery Laboratory is oper- to entrepreneurial thinking is invalu-
range from inkjet-printed antibiotics ated by a dozen scientists with exten- able, says Peter Koen, professor of a
and infection-resistant medical im- course at Stevens called Introduction
plants to technology that fully regrows to Entrepreneurship. An increasing
nerves and restores function in dam-
What weve built volume of research shows that en-
aged limbs, eliminating the need for here is a really unique trepreneurial thinking, even within
amputation. The university, located in center, offering students large organizations, can and does
Hoboken, also boasts an impressive transform those organizations strat-
track record for job placement after
comprehensive training egies and success in innovating new
graduation. In 2015, 95% of the Stevens across the gamut of pre- ideas and products. Furthermore,
graduating class secured permanent clinical drug discovery. beginning in late 2016, a new pro-
employment or post-graduate enroll- gram called IDEaS (Innovation De-
ment within six months of gradua-
Peter Tolias sign & Entrepreneurship at Stevens)
tion. In addition, Stevens was ranked will feature an innovation spine that
third in the nation for the best 20-year focuses on problem definitionbased
return on investment for graduates, customer research, identification of
according to the 2015 PayScale Col- entrepreneurial and business value
lege ROI Report. Students get to see proposition for research and design
what the outside world is interested in, projects, and elements of starting up
and they engage in specific projects, businesses, says Edward Stukane,
which often leads to introductions and vice president of communications
eventually placements in life science and marketing at Stevens.
companies that we partner with, says Stukane explains that an unwaver-
Peter Tolias, professor and director of ing commitment to discovery, collabo-
the Center for Healthcare Innovation ration and mentorship drives the aca-
at Stevens. demic culture at Stevens. Meanwhile,
On the biotech front, four years that same unwavering commitment to
ago Tolias recognized a big need for discovery, collaboration and mentor-
more granularity and understanding shipingrained into Stevens students
when it came to drug development, throughout their academic experienc-
and urged Stevens to make headway eshelps power the life science cul-
down that path. He fervently believed ture in New Jersey and far beyond, as
the university should implement a these next-generation leaders go on to
stronger focus on developing drugs inspire innovation around the globe.
WORLDVIEWPOINT
T
he currency of science is number four. There is accumulating
The editors of Scientific publishing. Producing novel, evidence that the published literature
American Worldview asked positive and clean results is more beautiful than reality, perhaps
five experts one question: maximizes the likelihood of pub- much more.The solution is transpar-
In your opinion, how bad is lishing success because those are ency.If you know how I arrived at my
the problem of reproducibility the best kind of results. There are claims, then the credibility of those
in scientific research and multiple ways to produce such re- claims will stand or fall on their own
sults: one,beagenius; two,belucky; meritsnot on my insistence that
what should be done about it?
three,bepatient; or four, employ flex- you should believe me.
Heres what they said.
ible analytic and selective reporting
practices to manufacture beauty.In a BRIAN NOSEK
DAN PAGE
I
at least half of findings in fields
thisbetter training is needed, incen- t is a serious problem, with multi-
from preclinical cancer research tives must be aligned with fostering ple causes. Incompetence, careless-
to economics to psychology cant rigor and reproducibility in science ness and fraud all contribute, but
be reproduced successfully. reporting, and publications must be are minorand fixablein compari-
evaluated on their content and not on son to the main barrier to reproduc-
cessfully. To be clear, 100% reproduc- the citation index of the journal. ibility: sheer complexity. Understand-
ibility would suggest that researchers ing how things really are, which is
arent thinking in very innovative FRANCIS S. COLLINS the ultimate goal of science, is beyond
ways. But under 50% is too low. We director us for most questions in the life sci-
need to create incentives for replica- LAWRENCE A. TABAK ences, at least for now. Instead, we
tion, whether those are carrotsdes- principal deputy director must pursue what in another context
ignated fundingor sticksmetrics U.S. National Institutes of Health Vladimir Nabokov describes as the
that compare rates of reproducibility. rapture of endless approximation.
I
One reason for some of these failures n a PLOS Biology paper published Biomarkers, genome-wide association
to replicate is that researchers dont last June, we calculated a 50% ir- studies, in vitro and in silico research
provide enough information about reproducibility rate, or nearly $28 provide useful approximations of
their methods, so we need to enforce billion per yearspent on irreproduc- health and ill-health but full under-
those mandates, too. ible research in the United States standing is a long way off. Maximum
alone. Even if the dollar amount collaboration, respectful skepticism
IVAN ORANSKY and rate are not exact, these are still and a positive attitude will get us there.
cofounder bigand troublingnumbers. GBSI
Retraction Watch is developing actionable solutions RICHARD GALLAGHER
where best practices and standards president and editor-in-chief
S
elf-correction of science has play a central role.For example, too Annual Reviews
been compromised due to many misidentified cell lines are still
external pressures to publish used in the lab and authenticating Opinions expressed in worldVIEWpoint do
papers in high-profile journals and cells is a cost-effective solution. We not necessarily reflect those of the editors.
FREEDMAN PHOTO: JUDY LICHT/GBSI
WORLDVIEWPOINT 83
INNOVATION A CURIOUS CULTURE
OF ALL COLORS:
So what links all three of these di-
verse businesses? It is the drive
to discover new things, to achieve
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany new scientific insights and uncover
breakthroughs that translate into
There are legacies. And then there are LEGACIES. products and solutions for patients,
I
customers and the world at large.
t is indeed a small field of companies that can boast a heritage
Indeed, the company has al-
stretching back to 1668. Rarer still are those legacy organi-
ways taken the long view when it
zations that continue to reinvent themselves, and constantly
comes to discovery. The culture in-
seek new ways to discover, create, explore and deliver cut-
ting-edge solutions to modern global challenges. spires everyone to be curious and to
Could Friedrich Jacob Merck have known that the company he ponder unique ways to innovate,
founded nearly 350 years ago in Darmstadt, Germany would still be to find solutions from their own
thriving today? Did he realize the roots he was putting down would unique angle.
support no mere tree, but in fact an entire forest of innovation? Consider the story from Martha
Whether he foresaw it or not, the humble business he began Rook, a researcher at Millipore-
has grown into a company of approximately 50,000 employees Sigma: She is passionately curious-
working in 66 countries. A workforce united by their passion for a scientist at heart. New cell thera-
new ideas, technological possibilities and the prospect of making pies in development for degenerative
a difference in the world. diseases like Parkinsons and diabe-
The company operates in the US and Canada as EMD Serono tes will require massive amounts of
in the biopharma business; as MilliporeSigma in the life science stem cells. Rook and her team devel-
business; and as EMD Performance Materials in the hi-tech ma- oped a novel product to grow large
terials business. quantities of stem cells with less ef-
Three businesses. Countless scientific insights. And centu-
fort and at a lower cost than tradi-
ries of innovation to build upon and to guide the future.
tional methods. Stem cells are essen-
In a flattened world, where our shared human challenges cut
tial to improving a number of drug
across class, culture and country, solutions require many angles,
and are multidisciplinary by design. discovery and development pro-
The family of businesses that comprise Merck KGaA, Darm- cesses. Industrial production of stem
stadt, Germany celebrate exploration and discovery, and the cells, made possible by innovations
wonders and promise of science, in all its vibrant forms. like this one, is essential for driving
research forward. The invention and
PIONEERS ADVANCING TECHNOLOGIES FOR LIFE others like it are not necessarily top-
Three distinct businesses comprise Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, ics of everyday conversation, but they
Germany. Together, these businesses bring specialist and lead to the extraordinary medical
high-quality products to the world. breakthroughs that improve the lives
Integrates cutting-edge science, innovative of people around the world.
products and devices, and industry-leading This is merely one example of the
patient support and access programs. day to day insights the companys
Providing scientists and engineers with global workforce puts to use in their
best-in-class lab materials, technologies and research-driven exploration to solve
services, and dedicated to making research and biotechnology the biggest scientific challenges.
production simpler, faster and more successful. The same spirit of discovery was
literally on display at a recent event
Developing specialty chemicals for
organized by EMD Performance
particularly demanding applications,
Materials. The forum, aptly titled,
this business sector provides cutting-edge liquid crystal and
OLED technology for displays, effect pigments for coating and Displaying Futures Symposium,
color cosmetics, and high-tech materials for the production of took place late in 2015 in San
integrated circuits. Francisco, and convened academic
Innovation is the thread that runs through everything we do at Johnson & Johnson,
from our timeless consumer products to cutting-edge therapeutics and medical devices.
The next breakthrough idea can come from anywhere. Maybe it will come from you.
Together we can transform ideas into healthcare solutions that change lives.