Tag: Biotechnology

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The Council of Europe’s Artificial Intelligence Convention: Implications for Health and Patients

Hannah van Kolfschooten Leave a comment

By Hannah van Kolfschooten

The Council of Europe, the most important international human rights organization on the European continent, currently is drafting a Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law (AI Convention). The Convention aims to protect fundamental rights against the harms of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and is expected to become a global leading convention, as non-European states such as the United States (U.S.) are considering becoming signatories.

As health care is one of the top industries for AI, the forthcoming AI Convention will have important implications for the protection of health and patients. This post gives a brief outline of the background, scope, and purpose of the AI Convention. It goes on to flag common human rights issues associated with medical AI and then touches upon the most important health rights implications of the current text of the AI Convention.

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How Artificial Intelligence is Revolutionizing Drug Discovery

Matthew Chun Leave a comment

By Matthew Chun

In recent months, generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm. AI systems like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion have captured the imagination of the masses with their impressive and sometimes controversial ability to generate human-like text and artwork. However, it may come as a surprise to some that — in addition to writing Twitter threads and dating app messages — AI is also well underway in revolutionizing the discovery of life-saving drugs.

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FTC’s Proposed Non-Compete Rule: A Step in the Right Direction for Health Care and Biotechnology

Aparajita Lath Leave a comment

By Aparajita Lath

In January, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a new draft rule that would categorically ban non-compete clauses — contractual terms between an employer and an employee that prevent subsequent employment at a competing firm — across the country.

Banning non-compete clauses may help to promote competition and innovation in biotechnology and health care.

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Visualizing the Growing Intersection of Life Sciences and Computing Patents in the US from 1976-2021

Matthew Chun Leave a comment

By Matthew Chun

With its leadership in drug development, biotechnology, and computing technologies, the United States touts itself as being “the most innovative economy in the world.”

But when did the U.S. rise to its position as a global leader in these areas? Which regions of the country have led the charge? And what is the next frontier of American innovation?

To begin exploring these questions, I analyzed 45 years of publicly available patent data to map the growth of U.S. innovation in the life sciences and computing fields from 1976-2021. I also mapped the recent growth of patented “hybrid” inventions, which are closing the gap between these historically disparate fields. In particular, the hybrid inventions explored in this project represent interdisciplinary advances in areas including bioinformatics, cheminformatics, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.

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We All Stand to Benefit from Biden’s $2 Billion Bet on the Bioeconomy

Matthew Chun Leave a comment

By Matthew Chun

Business is bustling for biotechnology and biomanufacturing. On September 12, 2022, President Biden signed an executive order, launching a “whole-of-government approach to advance biotechnology and biomanufacturing.” And two days later, he backed it up with a national summit and a $2 billion spending plan.

But who stands to benefit from this large commitment of federal money? We all do.

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Get Your Story Straight: Patent Office Cracks Down on Inconsistent Statements Made Before the FDA

Matthew Chun Leave a comment

By Matthew Chun

In an effort to “promote robust and reliable patents” and increase access to life-saving drugs, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued a Federal Register Notice clarifying the responsibilities of individuals involved in the patent application process.

In the July 29, 2022 notice, the USPTO set forth its views on the “duty of disclosure” and “duty of reasonable inquiry,” emphasizing the importance of consistency between statements made to the USPTO, the FDA, and other governmental agencies. While the goals of the Federal Register Notice are certainly noble, its disruptive practical effects leave much to be desired.

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What’s Missing From Biotech Graduate Education? With Free Course, RA Capital Attempts to Fill the Gaps

Jessica Sagers Leave a comment

By Jessica Sagers

As a PhD student in the life sciences at Harvard, I attended almost every career seminar that came through my inbox. I had no idea what I wanted to do after finishing my research doctorate, but I was certain that it wasn’t more cell culture.

The walls of my academic bubble were so thick that even as a budding cell biologist, I’d managed to hear almost nothing about Boston’s booming biotech industry. “Going into industry” was regarded as an “alternative career,” to the point where it sounded like taking a job outside of academia was tantamount to abandoning science. Besides, all my training had been in basic science. The coursework I’d excelled in, from neurobiology to biophysics, did not equip me to translate what I’d learned to the business world.

During my final PhD year, curiosity about the biotech sector drove me to accept an internship at RA Capital Management, a life science-focused investment firm in Boston. Dr. Peter Kolchinsky (Harvard Program in Virology, ’01), Founder and Managing Partner of RA Capital, brought me and a group of fellow PhD students on board to help achieve his vision of providing more pragmatic, focused training to scientists and professionals interested in working in biotechnology. Together, we designed a short, advanced course on the business of biotech designed to fit the practical needs of late-stage graduate students and early-career professionals.

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