Medical research and genetic resources management: the case of taxol

Commercial development of the anti-cancer drug taxol has involved a complex set of interlocking research agreements. This paper explores the implications of such agreements and discusses diverse policy issues surrounding taxol development. Among these are forest management, species preservation, intellectual property right, and the economics of biomedical research. Advances in genetic research increasingly have linked natural resource and technology policy issues. Institutional innovations in public/private research arrangements play a vital role in biotechnology development but are poorly understood. Policymakers need formal analyses of such agreements in order to evaluate complex research programs.
I. INTRODUCTION Cancer treatment is a major focus of biotechnology research in the United States. In 1988, over two-thirds of U.S. biotechnology patents were in the health care field and [...]