TY - JOUR
T1 - The emergence of commercial genomics
T2 - Analysis of the rise of a biotechnology subsector during the Human Genome Project, 1990 to 2004
AU - Wiechers, Ilse R.
AU - Perin, Noah C.
AU - Cook-Deegan, Robert
N1 - Funding Information:
Public and nonprofit funding for biomedical R&D grew steadily through the 1980s; privately funded R&D, however, grew even faster, surpassing total public and nonprofit funding by the early 1990s [4]. In genomics, the rise of private R&D was even more sudden and pronounced. From very little investment in private genomics at the beginning of the 1990s as the Human Genome Project began, a survey of genomics research funding for the World Health Organization found that private firm expenditures were almost twice the public and nonprofit funding for genomics R&D by 2000 [5].
PY - 2013/9/20
Y1 - 2013/9/20
N2 - Background: Development of the commercial genomics sector within the biotechnology industry relied heavily on the scientific commons, public funding, and technology transfer between academic and industrial research. This study tracks financial and intellectual property data on genomics firms from 1990 through 2004, thus following these firms as they emerged in the era of the Human Genome Project and through the 2000 to 2001 market bubble.Methods: A database was created based on an early survey of genomics firms, which was expanded using three web-based biotechnology services, scientific journals, and biotechnology trade and technical publications. Financial data for publicly traded firms was collected through the use of four databases specializing in firm financials. Patent searches were conducted using firm names in the US Patent and Trademark Office website search engine and the DNA Patent Database.Results: A biotechnology subsector of genomics firms emerged in parallel to the publicly funded Human Genome Project. Trends among top firms show that hiring, capital improvement, and research and development expenditures continued to grow after a 2000 to 2001 bubble. The majority of firms are small businesses with great diversity in type of research and development, products, and services provided. Over half the public firms holding patents have the majority of their intellectual property portfolio in DNA-based patents.Conclusions: These data allow estimates of investment, research and development expenditures, and jobs that paralleled the rise of genomics as a sector within biotechnology between 1990 and 2004.
AB - Background: Development of the commercial genomics sector within the biotechnology industry relied heavily on the scientific commons, public funding, and technology transfer between academic and industrial research. This study tracks financial and intellectual property data on genomics firms from 1990 through 2004, thus following these firms as they emerged in the era of the Human Genome Project and through the 2000 to 2001 market bubble.Methods: A database was created based on an early survey of genomics firms, which was expanded using three web-based biotechnology services, scientific journals, and biotechnology trade and technical publications. Financial data for publicly traded firms was collected through the use of four databases specializing in firm financials. Patent searches were conducted using firm names in the US Patent and Trademark Office website search engine and the DNA Patent Database.Results: A biotechnology subsector of genomics firms emerged in parallel to the publicly funded Human Genome Project. Trends among top firms show that hiring, capital improvement, and research and development expenditures continued to grow after a 2000 to 2001 bubble. The majority of firms are small businesses with great diversity in type of research and development, products, and services provided. Over half the public firms holding patents have the majority of their intellectual property portfolio in DNA-based patents.Conclusions: These data allow estimates of investment, research and development expenditures, and jobs that paralleled the rise of genomics as a sector within biotechnology between 1990 and 2004.
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U2 - 10.1186/gm487
DO - 10.1186/gm487
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84884313687
SN - 1756-994X
VL - 5
JO - Genome Medicine
JF - Genome Medicine
IS - 9
M1 - 83
ER -