Measuring the Performance of International Genomic Research Projects in Fostering Genomic Capacity in the Developing World

Abstract

Therapeutic applications of genomic medicine are slowly finding their way into the healthcare framework of developing countries. The establishment of equitable innovation policies is a determining factor in how genomic-based therapeutic applications will evolve in these countries. In the biomedical field, the commercialization of research results has established itself as the dominant paradigm in the innovation system. However, many recent studies have demonstrated that this emphasis on commercialization and the protection of intellectual property has led to disappointing results. A growing number of stakeholders in this debate argue that it is now necessary to go beyond the commercialization of research and implement policies based on the research valorization paradigm, which supports the achievement of social as well as economic objectives. We thus propose a new set of more inclusive research performance indicators to help policymakers measure the impact of international genomics projects on developing countries.

Keywords: research and development; access; innovation policy; genomic medicine; international genomics research projects