Biotechnology Research: Priorities and Public Policy Implications

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Biotechnology Research Priorities and Public
Policy Implications

• Public Policy Forum
• 
  
  Dr. Carolyn Bennett, M.P.
• Dec 11, 2003

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Overview with a little help from my friends

• Public policy follows public opinion
• U.B.C.
• Earnscliffe
• Biotech Canada
• Genome Canada
• Genentech
• SARS

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Top of Mind Attitudes

• Consistent two to one support for biotechnology
  in Canada, that has risen slightly over time
• A majority believe the technology is critical to
  the future of Canadas economy

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Top of Mind Attitudes

• There is a core of about 10 of the population
  that are strongly opposed
• This small groups views represent the vast
  majority of public feedback to government

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Top of Mind Attitudes

• Tempered views increasingly becoming the norm
• Focus groups find that these tempered views
  reflective of a more complex, considered attitude
  toward the products
• But rarely do those considerations result in
  opposition
• Ultimately, there is more support than opposition
• But no rubber stamps offered for any biotech
  application
• Decisions made on a case by case basis
• And support premised on assurances that research,
  regulation are comprehensive

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Acceptability of Applications
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Sources of Funding
Source Statistics Canada 2001 some numbers are
unreliable
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Biotechnology Products Processes in the Pipeline
Total 18,020
Source Statistics Canada 2001 some numbers are
unreliable
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Commercializing in Canada

• By 2005 Canada will import 10.7 billion in
  medications. Domestic
• production will account for only 26.5 of the
  medicines Canadians
• Need.

Source Bob Reichert Melanie Wendover,
Biotechnology Focus, April 2002
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Canada must improve its performance
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Regulation of Biotechnology

• Average approval times for biopharmaceuticals in
  2002 was 802 days

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The Canadian Business Environment

• The Good
• KPMG rated Canada 1 in the world for knowledge
  workers
• The Federal Government is investing 11 billion
  dollars a year in post secondary education and
  research
• The Bad
• The United States has a biotech industry 20 times
  as large and 80 times better funded than ours.
• The Ugly
• 10 years ago, The Medical Discoveries Fund, a
  Canadian venture capital company, had to look to
  the United States to find companies to find
  companies to invest in

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Barriers to Commercialization
Source Statistics Canada Biotechnology Survey,
1999
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• Founded 25 years ago
• Breast cancer Herceptin is extremely effective
  on women who have a certain genetic profile - not
  effective in others
• 10 years ago a drug that cured less than 10 of
  cases would have been rejected
• Now we have the tools to understand genomic
  variation the new medicine

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The New Economy

• Genentech market capitalization 45 billion US
• Which is more than
• Royal Bank of Canada 32 billion US
• Bombardier 6 billionUS

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Implications for Canada

• Most of value crystallized in last 5 years
• Genentech took 25 years to build up
• Canadian biotech industry is 10-15 years old
• The growth in value is more ahead than behind
• Canada cannot afford NOT to participate

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Creating Value The Hockey Stick Phenomenon
In Genomics First 90 of Project 10
Benefits Last 10 of Project 90 Benefits
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SARS GENOME Success Puts Canada on the
Scientific World Stage

• Wake up, Canada. Youve won the Olympic gold
  medal in genomics but no one seems to have
  noticed.
• David G. Jensen

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• To put the SARS work into context, it took
  scientists three years to identify the HIV virus
  behind AIDS, and nearly two more years to
  sequence its genome. In this case, Genome Canada
  authorized the funds and in ten days the sequence
  was posted which is truly amazing progress no
  matter how you look at it.
• In this writers view, it showed the world that
  Canada had invested wisely and that Canadians
  could make a major impact on huge projects of
  this nature with their new infrastructure
• My last eye-opener when looking at how Canada
  won the race to sequence this SARS virusthe
  price tag 60,000
• David G. Jensen