Public-Private Cooperation for the Future of Genomics

1. Public-Private Cooperation for the Future of Genomics Cindy Fung & Miranda Ip Stanford-in-Washington "How Health & Science Policy Decisions Are Made” with Bob Cook-Deegan 6 December 2000

2. Celera Genomics, Inc. mapped rough draft human genome using “whole genome shotgun” approach in 3 years for $200 million used sequence from public database Spun-off from publicly funded government effort U.S. Human Genome Project mapped rough draft of human genome using “hierarchical shotgun” approach in 5 years for greater amount of money was motivated to finish in 1/3 of the time anticipated because of competition from the private sector Strengths & Weaknesses

3. Strengths & Weaknesses (cont’d) Celera Genomics, Inc. • driven primarily by consumer demand and profit • part of huge increase in recent years of genetics biotechnology companies U.S. HGP • motivated by interest in basic research, biomedical research, interest in understanding disease • initiated by DOE & NIH interest in late 80’s/early 90’s activity FOR MORE INFO . . . See http://www.celera.com The Gene Wars, by Robert Cook-Deegan

4. U.S. Human Genome Project want everything in sequence databases to be publicly available public goods argument: need free access for faster progress in research, thus need all information in database, including annotations and bioinformatics tools, to be free “The value of databases such as GenBank lie primarily in their roles as an honest broker of information for the community at large, and any private owner of a database would do well to have earned a strong reputation in that respect, too.” Nature, March 23, 2000. Clash: issue of public access FOR MORE INFO . . . See the Human Genome Project at http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/

5. Clash: issue of public access Celera Genomics, Inc. • freely accessible database, subscription for computing tools to analyze & search database & work on annotations • part of business model; have invested a lot of money in these technologies “Annotation of the data by Celera scientists using an array of bioinformatics tools will act as the platform for developing a range of products and services. We will offer these tools in a manner similar to the models used by other information companies such as Lexis-Nexis, Bloomberg and AOL.” Craig Venter, April 6, 2000 FOR MORE INFO . . . See testimony before Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, April 6, 2000 http://www.ostp.gov/html/00626_4.html

6. Current situation • Personality differences in leaders of each project • Each one is bound by personal commitment to their respective projects • Political momentum: the June 26 announcement, and competition and animosity has been magnified by the media & by public interest in genetics FOR MORE INFO... Industry Week’s Technology Leaders of the Year See http://www.industryweek.com

7. Venter on Collins: “I would describe his job as herding cats. Trying to get all these labs to work together…takes a real skill set.” Industry Week Collins on Venter: “I would say his strength is that he is willing to take risks on a large scale that many others would shy away from.” Industry Week Current Situation (cont’d)

8. Resolution of immediate issue Predictions • Celera will publish in Science • editorial views in Science have promoted the private sector and encouraged future science policy to include privately funded research as an integral part of future science • HGP will publish in Nature • Nature has supported international view on public access, and the HGP shares this view • because the HGP is in competition to publish simultaneously, will try to publish elsewhere while remaining firm on their policy on access

9. Resolution of immediate issue • After publication, joint effort for “clean up” of sequences, but no collaboration similar to the Drosophila effort to cooperate on annotation of the sequence • eventually, scientists in publicly funded efforts will want access to Celera’s information

10. Future cooperation & competition • Finishing the human DNA sequence • separate public and private efforts will continue • Sequencing technology • currently being developed by both private and public sector; HGP should continue as long as working on the human genome FOR MORE INFO . . . See “New Goals for the U.S. Human Genome Project: 1998-2003”Science, 282:682-689.

11. Future collaboration/competition • Human genome sequencing variation • SNPs Consortium; incentive for both private & public to work on this • technology for functional genomics • both HGP and private industry will benefit by investing effort into this separately and through collaboration

12. Future collaboration/competition • Comparitive genomics • sequencing by Celera or other sequencing/database companies; research on material done by all groups • Ethical, Legal, Social Implications • HGP has public interest in this • Bioinformatics and computational biology • Celera’s will develop better bioinformatics tools • training of scientists

13. Conclusions • In the next decade or so, society will gain enormous benefits from increased knowledge about the human genome • The private industries is here to stay—tremendous capital • The HGP set a new standard for government projects of such magnitude—new paradigm for how to do “big science” • While there are areas of overlap between public and private efforts, this only means that we have accelerated the pace of discovery in science

14. Conclusions (cont’d) New areas to really explore • issues of property rights and sharing information in the research community • good science will pay and bad science will lose out--poor quality work cannot have a monopoly because scientists will refuse to use it

15. Future battles in… The courts: will examine issues of gene patenting, intellectual property rights

16. Thanks to... Bob Cook-Deegan Celera Genomics, Inc. Nature Science National Human Genome Research Institute