Products, Partners & Public Health: Transfer of Biomedical Technologies from the U.S. Government

The United States (U.S.) leads the world in government support for non-military research and development (R&D), especially support for work that directly relates to health and human development. A focal point for such investments to date in biomedical research has been the National Institutes of Health (NIH), receiving $23.3 billion in fiscal year 2002. Whether internal or externally based, the biomedical research performed has led to a large variety of novel basic, and clinical research discoveries - all of which generally require commercial partners in order to develop them into products for hospital, physician or patient use. This article describes the role of the NIH, including ways in which it works with corporate partners or licensees to commercialize its funded research into products in order to help fulfill it mission as a healthcare agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).