An eminent scientist talks about the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology and the future of drug research. In the course of our busy, technologically-driven lives, it is taken for granted that we respond to minor
fluctuations in our health by taking pills - pills for headache and for toothache;
sleeping pills and tranquilizers; pills to lower fever, quiet coughs, and clear the sinuses; medicines to reduce appetite; preparations to relieve heartburn; and many more. In the war against serious disease, medicines are an indispensable weapon in the physician's arsenal: they save lives, or at least prolong them and make them more bearable. Despite the important role that pharmaceuticals play in…
