How Do Policymakers Regulate AI and Accommodate Innovation in Research and Medicine?

In this Medical News article, JAMA Editor in Chief Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS, and Alondra Nelson, PhD, the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, discuss effective AI regulation frameworks to accommodate innovation.

Hope-hype of green innovation, corporate governance index, and impact on firm financial performance: a comparative study of Southeast Asian countries

The current production and conception have impacted the environmental hazards. Green innovation (GI) is the ideal solution for sustainable production, consumption, and ecological conservation. The objective of the study is to compare comprehensive green innovation (green product, process, service, and organization) impact on firm financial performance in Malaysia and Indonesia, along with the first study to measure the moderation role of the corporate governance index. This study has addressed the gap by developing the green innovation and corporate governance index. Collected panel data from the top 188 publicly listed firms for 3 years and analyzed it using the general least square method. The empirical evidence demonstrates that the green innovation practice is better in Malaysia, and the outcome also shows that the significance level is higher in Indonesia. This study also provides empirical evidence that board composition has a positive moderation relationship betwixt GI and business performance in Malaysia but is insignificant in Indonesia. This comparative study provides new insights to the policymakers and practitioners of both countries to monitor and manage green innovation practices.

Environmental regulation and financial performance of Chinese listed companies

OBJECTIVE

The answer to this article lies in: Does the financial activities of physical enterprises have an adverse impact on their main business? Is it conducive to the sustainable development of the national economy? However, when most scholars study the impact of environmental regulations on companies performance, they have not classified companies performance. This article will study the relationship between environmental regulations and performance levels based on the classification of companies performance, and then divide the nature of industry pollution, companies location and nature of property for in-depth research.

METHODS

First, this article uses a random effect variable-intercept model to measure companies financial performance and non-financial performance. Then, the variables are divided into two variable groups: light pollution and heavy pollution according to the nature of industry pollution. Next, the companies are divided into three variable groups: the eastern region, the central region, and the western region. Finally, the company is divided into two variable groups: state-owned and non-state-owned according to the nature of property.

CONCLUSIONS

The study found that: (1) Environmental regulations have inhibited companies financial activities. And the inhibitory effect of environmental regulations on the financial performance of enterprises is more obvious in the heavily polluting industries and enterprises in central and eastern regions. (2) Environmental regulations and companies non-financial performance are also negatively related, environmental regulations have also inhibited the non-financial performance of companies, this effect is more pronounced in heavily polluting industries and enterprises in western regions. (3) Income crowding effect brought by China's environmental regulations is greater than the income compensation effect brought by stimulating technological innovation.

Synergy effect of science and technology policies on innovation: Evidence from China

This paper explores the synergy effect of the government subsidies, tax incentives, and government procurement on innovation based on synergy theory, and further analyzes its path and mechanism in the process of innovation. We find that government subsidies, tax incentives, and government procurement exert positive synergy effect on innovation. Furthermore, in the process of innovation, government subsidies are shown to play strongest roles in the stages of innovation input and technological development, while government procurement is the most crucial in the transformation stage of technological innovation, and tax incentives play balanced roles. We also find that innovation resource input, innovation technology spillover, and innovation cooperation all play partial mediating roles in the synergy effect of science and technology policies on innovation. This paper applies the synergy theory to the field of innovation policies, which enriches and expands relevant researches, and provides micro-evidence for in-depth understanding of the effect of science and technology policies on innovation.

Models of Governance for Innovation in Medicine and Health Research

Personalised medicine, digital innovations, and neuro-technologies all offer significant potential benefit for human health and welfare, but also raise complex governance challenges. A variety of approaches have been adopted in the governance of innovative medicines and health technologies, including risk assessment, ethics and self-governance. Recently anticipatory or 'upstream' modes of governance have garnered favour. Anticipatory regulation demands a closer relationship between regulators and innovators, to shape the trajectories of the technology. In the EU context, responsible research and innovation has emerged as a key mechanism of governance. This is linked but distinct from a human rights governance which has the advantage of exerting both legal and moral force. What is needed in the healthcare context are governance models which ensure human rights considerations are taken into account from the earliest stages of innovation, to maximise the likelihood that developments are from the outset beneficial and oriented towards protecting ethical values.

USA Vs Europe: Who Is Leading the Diabetes Tech Race?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To highlight global advancements in diabetes technology and compare available technologies and device approval processes in the USA and Europe and their impact on safety and innovation.

RECENT FINDINGS

The last two decades have seen a rapid growth in diabetes technology driven by the impetus to improve glycemic control, avoid complications of insulin therapy, improve quality of life, and hand more autonomy to individuals with diabetes. Meanwhile, changes to regulatory processes in the USA and Europe aim to facilitate entry of new devices into the marketplace. Major strides have been made in digitization of insulin pens, continuous glucose monitors and their integration with insulin pumps, automated insulin delivery systems, and closed-loop insulin pump systems. The centralized regulatory body in the USA and more decentralized approval bodies in Europe have led to differences in the rate of market availability of diabetes devices. While both US and Europe systems have different advantages and disadvantages in device approval, they continue to struggle with balancing accelerated device access with adequate clinical evidence and monitoring to ensure safety of such devices.

Invention in Dermatology: A Review

Dermatologists are among the most inventive physicians, trained in the multiple disciplines of medical dermatology, surgical dermatology, and dermatopathology. Many of the advances in dermatology practice have been derived from inventive colleagues who identify opportunities for improvement in practice, develop viable prototypes to address these practice opportunities, and persevere through the hard work of developing new technologies to advance the practice of dermatology. In this article, we will review the basic elements of invention, patents, and the range of outcomes associated with the pursuit of invention. Examples of innovative dermatologic technologies and approaches will be reviewed. Opportunities abound for dermatologists to contribute to the advancement of medical care through invention in our specialty. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(9):904-908.

AMA Code of Medical Ethics' Opinions Related to Ethics of Life-Sustaining Technologies

Advances in science and technology have far-reaching potential for implementation in health care and must be considered from an ethics perspective. Physicians conducting research on such technologies must consider their duties to subjects and patients. The AMA Code of Medical Ethics offers guidance on research conduct and best practices for using innovation patents.

The American Democratic Deficit in Assisted Reproductive Technology Innovation

In many areas of innovation, the United States is a leader, but this characterization does not apply to the United States' position in assisted reproductive technology innovation and clinical use. This article uses a political science concept, the idea of the "democratic deficit" to examine the lack of American public discourse on innovations in ART. In doing so, the article focuses on America's missing public consultation in health care innovation. This missing discourse is significant, as political and ethical considerations may impact regulatory decisions. Thus, to the extent that these considerations are influencing the decisions of federal agency employees, namely those who work within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the public is unable to participate in the decision-making process. This lack of a public discourse undermines the goals of the administrative state, which include democratic participation, transparency, and accountability. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, has had a markedly divergent experience with assisted reproductive technology innovation. Instead of ignoring the various ethical, social, and legal issues surrounding assisted reproductive technology innovation, the United Kingdom engaged in a five-strand public consultation on the topic of mitochondrial transfer, a form of assisted reproductive technology that uses genetic modification in order to prevent disease transmission. This article argues that after a multi-decade standstill in terms of the public discourse related to ethical issues associated with assisted reproductive technology and germline modification, it is time for the United States to institute a more democratic inquiry into the scientific, ethical, and social implications of new forms of assisted reproductive technology and ultimately, forthcoming medical innovations that involve genetic modification.

Toward Relevant and Credible Cost-Effectiveness Analyses for Value Assessment in the Decentralized U.S. Health Care System

In the United States, there is an increased interest to understand the value of health technologies. Cost-effectiveness analysis is arguably the most appropriate framework to quantify value and to inform reimbursement decision making regarding medical interventions; however, a thorough analysis is resource intensive and complex. In many countries, the cost-effectiveness of medical interventions is evaluated by expert agencies at the national level, but in the United States, reimbursement decision making occurs at the local level. This raises the question of how we can provide a means to transparent cost-effectiveness analysis that reflects the local context and patient population and is based on the latest evidence and scientific insights. In other words, how can we maximize the relevance and credibility of cost-effectiveness evaluations in the context of a decentralized decision-making environment? Published cost-effectiveness analyses typically fail on these dimensions. Access to transparent open-source models that can be adapted to reflect the local setting in a relatively straightforward manner is an essential step toward such a goal. However, no model for cost-effectiveness analysis is ever truly "right" or "complete," and it must evolve along with clinical evidence and improvements in scientific methodology to ensure that its credibility remains. We propose a transparent approach of iterative development and collaboration between content and methodology experts to produce up-to-date, open-source consensus-based cost-effectiveness models that account for parameter and structural uncertainty to help local decision makers understand the confidence with which they might make a decision. Our proposed approach provides a way to adapt formal assessments of value-long the province of centralized health care systems-into the decentralized U.S. health care landscape. DISCLOSURES: This research was funded through the Innovation and Value Initiative, a nonprofit multistakeholder research organization. The Innovation and Value Initiative contracted with Precision Medicine Group for research activities related to this article. Jansen and Incerti are salaried employees and shareholders of Precision Medicine Group. Curtis is a paid consultant for the Innovation and Value Initiative. Curtis also reports consulting fees and grants from Amgen, AbbVie, BMS, Corrona, Janssen, Lilly, Myriad, Pfizer, Roche/Genentech, Radius, and UCB, unrelated to this article.

Everything in moderation, even hype: learning from vaccine controversies to strike a balance with CRISPR

The ease and applicability of CRISPR/Cas9--a new and precise gene editing and reproductive technology--have garnered hype and heightened concern about its potential 'unprecedented and horrific consequences' and have led many scientific leaders to call for a moratorium on its research and use. CRISPR appears distinctly more controversial than previous technological innovations (genetic or otherwise), with a greater reach and speed of human treatment and enhancement; however, we have seen similarly inflated hopes and fears in response to other medical innovations for well over a century. One intervention that has both historically and recently incited alarm--vaccines--serves as a pertinent example of what could go wrong if a technology's reach is shortened due to inflated fears. By comparing the vaccine controversy and the CRISPR debate, we can help separate the hype from the realistic potential of these technologies. How our society grapples with such innovations will determine the extent to which their impact on our individual and collective health will be beneficial. We must recognise the need for a tempered approach to CRISPR conversation leading to regulation and ethical application. Although CRISPR's reach will continue expanding with ongoing research, thus requiring continuous evaluation, the lessons we have learned from the vaccine controversy demonstrate that our approach must not be to shut down regulation and application now, but to thoughtfully conjoin productive debate and action so that therapeutic gene editing can alleviate suffering as soon as possible without precipitating social outcomes we would belatedly deplore.

Holding the Project Accountable: Research Governance, Ethics, and Democracy

This paper seeks to address research governance by highlighting the notion of public accountability as a complementary tool for the establishment of an ethical resonance space for emerging technologies. Public accountability can render development and design process of emerging technologies transparent through practices of holding those in charge of research accountable for their actions, thereby fostering ethical engagement with their potential negative consequences or side-effects. Through practices such as parliamentary questions, audits, and open letters emerging technologies could be effectively rendered transparent and opened up to broader levels of scrutiny and debate, thereby contributing to a greater adherence of emerging technologies to ethics and moral consensus. Fundamental democratic practices could thus not only lead to better informed choices in design and development processes, but also contribute to more morally substantive outcomes.

Returning to the Patent Landscapes for Nanotechnology: Assessing the Garden that It Has Grown Into

The patent landscape, like a garden, can tell you much about its designers and users; their motivations, biases, and general interests. While both patent landscapes and gardens may appear to the casual observer as refined and ordered, an in-depth exploration of the terrain is likely to reveal unforeseen challenges including, for example, alien species, thickets, and trolls. As this Chapter illustrates, patent landscapes are dynamic and have been forced to continually evolve in response to technological innovation. While emerging technologies, such as biotechnology and information communication technology have challenged the traditional patent landscape, resulting in the pruning of certain elements here and there, the overarching framework and design has largely remained intact. But will this always be the case? As the field of nanotechnology continues to evolve and mature, the aim of this Chapter is to map how the technology has evolved and grown within the confines of existing structures and underlying foundation of the patent landscape and the implications thereof for the technology, industry, and the public more generally. The Chapter concludes by asking the question whether the current patent landscape will be able to withstand the ubiquitous nature of the technology, or whether nanotechnology, in combination with other emerging technologies, will be a catalyst for governments and policy makers to completely redesign the patent landscape.

The Risks of Revolution: Ethical Dilemmas in 3D Printing from a US Perspective

Additive manufacturing has spread widely over the past decade, especially with the availability of home 3D printers. In the future, many items may be manufactured at home, which raises two ethical issues. First, there are questions of safety. Our current safety regulations depend on centralized manufacturing assumptions; they will be difficult to enforce on this new model of manufacturing. Using current US law as an example, I argue that consumers are not capable of fully assessing all relevant risks and thus continue to require protection; any regulation will likely apply to plans, however, not physical objects. Second, there are intellectual property issues. In combination with a 3D scanner, it is now possible to scan items and print copies; many items are not protected from this by current intellectual property laws. I argue that these laws are ethically sufficient. Patent exists to protect what is innovative; the rest is properly not protected. Intellectual property rests on the notion of creativity, but what counts as creative changes with the rise of new technologies.

Intellectual Property in Vaccine Innovation: Impact of Recent Patent Developments

This chapter examines the issues on patentability of microorganisms and human genes under the US laws and analyzes their influence on vaccine innovation. The analysis will focus on three aspects, namely, the naturally existing state, unmodified isolated form (i.e., mere extraction from the natural environment), and human-modified/genetically engineered structure. The outcome of the assessment suggests that the impact of the recent US patent jurisprudence on vaccines may differ significantly depending on whether the preparation of a vaccine in question involves natural or man-made DNA material.

From the Bench to the Pharmacy: Protecting Innovation During Vaccine Development and Commercialization

Patentable inventions may be made during the development of a vaccine, and patents on such inventions can help to protect the vaccine from competition. This chapter introduces several patent law concepts, including patent eligible subject matter, written description, enablement, novelty, and nonobviousness, by following a hypothetical vaccine development timeline that begins with the discovery of a previously unknown virus and ends with the commercial launch of a vaccine against the virus. Regulatory exclusivity, freedom to operate, and lifecycle management considerations are also discussed.

Warren introduces Medical Innovation Act

The Medical Innovation Act, introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), will impose an additional penalty on lawbreaking pharmaceutical companies who opt for out-of-court settlements. This money will be used to bolster research funding for the NIH and the FDA.

Commercialization: patenting and licensing in wound healing and regenerative biology

Wound healing and regeneration is an area rich in discovery and progress. Models of resourcing science are changing, thus there are both research funding and commercial incentives for developing intellectual property. This chapter focuses on the initial steps of commercial development of a patentable discovery such as might apply to an invention in this space, and indeed other areas of biomedical science. We cover the basics of patent protection and licensing. First, we address why research results often need to be patented in order to provide an incentive for the financial investment required to move a product through the development and approval process. Second, we discuss the basics of US patent law and address certain pitfalls of premature disclosure of research results. Next, we inform the reader of significant issues relative to ownership of IP in the academic and industrial worlds, in particular the interplay of consulting agreements and employment obligations. Finally an overview of the mechanics of the licensing process is provided.

[Medical inventions: developments and approaches in employer-employee [correction of worker-employee] relations]

The past twenty years have witnessed a huge increase in research activity on the government health system in Israel. Consequently, a number of questions of enhanced importance arise: to whom the resultant IP (intellectual property) belongs?--to the researcher or the employer? and what compensation should the researcher receive for his inventive efforts? The government found many cases where the IP was registered in the name of the inventor/researcher, thus denying the government ownership of the IP. In 2009, the government sued Omryx over ownership of such an IP. Following these developments, the government issued new rules for management of IP in the government health system. They came into effect in November 2010. In many respects, the new rules are more stringent than the Israeli Patent Law in respect of the inventor. However, the stipulation of awards to the inventor in the new rules is generous. In order for the new rules to be enforceable, the following guidelines are recommended: The new rules should be more aligned with the Patent Law and with the meaning given to the Law by the judicial system, and There is need for the assent and awareness of health system workers to the conditions set out in the new rules, preferably in the form of new work contracts that clearly and concurrently delineate the worker's duties, particularly those pertaining to IP.

Enabling policy planning and innovation management through patent information and co-authorship network analyses: a study of tuberculosis in Brazil

Introduction

New tools and approaches are necessary to facilitate public policy planning and foster the management of innovation in countries' public health systems. To this end, an understanding of the integrated way in which the various actors who produce scientific knowledge and inventions in technological areas of interest operate, where they are located and how they relate to one another is of great relevance. Tuberculosis has been chosen as a model for the present study as it is a current challenge for Brazilian research and innovation.

Methodology

Publications about tuberculosis written by Brazilian authors were accessed from international databases, analyzed, processed with text searching tools and networks of coauthors were constructed and visualized. Patent applications about tuberculosis in Brazil were retrieved from the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) and the European Patent Office databases, through the use of International Patent Classification and keywords and then categorized and analyzed.

Results/Conclusions

Brazilian authorship of articles about tuberculosis jumped from 1% in 1995 to 5% in 2010. Article production and patent filings of national origin have been concentrated in public universities and research institutions while the participation of private industry in the filing of Brazilian patents has remained limited. The goals of national patenting efforts have still not been reached, as up to the present none of the applications filed have been granted a patent. The analysis of all this data about TB publishing and patents clearly demonstrates the importance of maintaining the continuity of Brazil's production development policies as well as government support for infrastructure projects to be employed in transforming the potential of research. This policy, which already exists for the promotion of new products and processes that, in addition to bringing diverse economic benefits to the country, will also contribute to effective dealing with public health problems affecting Brazil and the World.

[Current service invention patents and growth pathways on basis of cluster analysis]

This study aims for enhancing quantity and quality of patents of traditional Chinese medicine compounds of traditional Chinese medicine enterprises, traditional Chinese medicine colleges and relevant institutions while building an efficient pathway for patent protection using simple statistics and cluster analysis, with service invention patent holders of traditional Chinese medicine compounds as the study object.