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US to Speed up Cancer Drug Approval Francis Crick, 88, Discoverer of DNA's Secrets Britain Issues First Therapeutic Cloning Li

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US to Speed up Cancer Drug Approval Francis Crick, 88, Discoverer of DNA's Secrets Britain Issues First Therapeutic Cloning Li NEWS IN BRIEF Britain issues first UK set to boost WHO pulls Indian therapeutic cloning license research spending generics off AIDS drugs list UK researchers applauded the country’s The UK government is increasing support The World Health Organization (WHO) has decision to grant its first license for therapeutic for science and medicine, both within the removed three generic AIDS drugs made by cloning experiments, saying it will help develop country and abroad. the Indian manufacturer Ranbaxy from its list stem cell–based therapies. On 12 July, UK finance minister Gordon of safe medicines. The country’s Human Fertilisation and Brown unveiled a ten-year plan to raise In May, the agency delisted two drugs made Embryology Authority on 12 August approved government spending on research and by another Indian company, Cipla, shortly Newcastle University researchers’application to development over the next decade from 1.9% after the European Union called for routine create embryonic stem cells. Although their to 2.5% of the country’s gross domestic inspections of quality-control laboratories. In research is still a long way from the clinic, the product—effectively adding by 2008 both cases, inspectors found that operations at team aims to make insulin-producing cells that £1 billion to the country’s science coffers. the laboratories were substandard and the could be transplanted into diabetic patients The Wellcome Trust charity for biomedical drugs could not be proven to be therapeutically without risk of immune rejection. research has pledged to match the funds with identical to the patented originals. UK law prohibits reproductive cloning but £1.5 billion over the next five years. Ranbaxy has said it is now testing the drugs allows therapeutic cloning under heavy review. The money will bolster basic research at a different laboratory, and will resubmit The permit is a first for the UK and Europe, infrastructure by increasing funding for quality data to the WHO. The company also although the research is allowed in other the research councils, the Office of Science announced on 2 August that it will seek European countries. In February, South Korean and Technology and university science approval from the US Food and Drug researchers reported that they had cloned the departments. It will also support Administration (FDA) for its combination first human embryos. knowledge transfer initiatives from the antiretrovirals by the end of the year. Ranbaxy http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine The announcement also establishes the academic sector to industry, a major focus would be the first to participate in an FDA country’s position on cloning two months of the new plan. The research community initiative announced in May, inviting overseas before UN member states are scheduled to meet has lauded the announcement, but some generics companies to file for agency approval to develop an international agreement on the have expressed concern over how the on a ‘fast-track’ status. issue. The UK and other countries are funding goal will be met. The US does not recognize the WHO’s advocating for a decision to ban reproductive Prime Minister Tony Blair announced on drug assessment system and has questioned cloning but allow individual countries to define 20 July that the UK would also double the the quality of generic HIV drugs. But experts their own policies on therapeutic cloning. country’s contribution to the Global Fund have criticized the US policy, saying it caters to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to pharmaceutical company interests and and commit £1.5 billion over the next three elevates drug prices beyond the reach of most US to speed up years to combat the global AIDS crisis. developing countries. cancer drug approval © 2004 Nature Publishing Group The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to create a new office to oversee Francis Crick, 88, discoverer of DNA’s secrets approval of cancer-related drugs. Francis Crick, who in 1953 burst into a The Office of Oncology Drug Products will Cambridge pub and announced that he had combine three areas in the agency to establish found the secret of life, died on 28 July of more consistent policies for reviewing drugs colon cancer. and some medical imaging compounds, but The secret, of course, was the double not cancer vaccines. The new office will also helical structure of DNA, and its discovery coordinate efforts with other FDA centers as earned Crick the Nobel Prize, which he well as with the National Cancer Institute and shared in 1962 with James Watson and professional societies. Maurice Wilkins. But the accomplishment The initiative aims to lower the cost for was just the start of a brilliant and varied developing cancer drugs and speed their career. Over the next 25 years, Crick’s passage from lab to clinic. A recent FDA report contributions to molecular biology, including blamed the widening disconnect between the discovery of DNA transcription and amino basic and applied drug research for the acid coding, laid the foundation for soaring development costs and high failure understanding the genetics of inheritance. In 1977, Crick left Cambridge for the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San rate of drugs, saying it leads to mistakes in Diego, where he turned to his other intellectual passion, the study of the human judging safety and effectiveness. brain. His work there gave credence to a then-radical theory—that consciousness is generated by the firing of neurons. For more news and analysis go to A true theoretician and visionary, Crick was heralded by colleagues for his intellectual rigor and fearlessness in the face of controversial ideas. As he once www.nature.com/news said, “a man who is right every time is not likely to do very much.” Written by Alla Katsnelson NATURE MEDICINE VOLUME 10 | NUMBER 9 | SEPTEMBER 2004 885.
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