Patent Buyouts: A Mechanism for Encouraging Innovation

In 1839 the French government purchased the Daguerreotype patent and placed it in the public domain. Such patent buyouts could potentially eliminate the monopoly price distortions and incentives for rent-stealing duplicative research created by patents, while increasing incentives for original research. Governments could offer to purchase patents at their estimated private value, as determined in an auction, times a markup equal to the typical ratio of inventions' social and private value. Most patents purchased would be placed in the public domain, but to induce bidders to reveal their valuations, a few would be sold to the highest bidder.Economic

Disorganization

Under central planning, many firms relied on a single supplier for critical inputs. Transition has led to decentralized bargaining between suppliers and buyers. Under incomplete contracts or asymmetric information, bargaining may inefficiently break down, and if chains of production link many specialized producers, output will decline sharply. Mechanisms that mitigate these problems in the West, such as reputation, can only play a limited role in transition. The empirical evidence suggests that output has fallen farthest for the goods with the most complex production process, and that disorganization has been more important in the former Soviet Union than in Central Europe.Economic

Advanced Purchase Commitments for a Malaria Vaccine: Estimating Costs and Effectiveness

To overcome the problem of insufficient research and development (R&D) on vaccines for diseases concentrated in low-income countries, sponsors could commit to purchase viable vaccines if and when they are developed. One or more sponsors would commit to a minimum price that would be paid per person immunized for an eligible product, up to a certain number of individuals immunized. For additional purchases, the price would eventually drop to short-run marginal cost. If no suitable product were developed, no payments would be made. We estimate the offer size which would make the revenues from R&D investments on a malaria vaccine similar to revenues realized from investments in typical existing commercial pharmaceutical products, as well as the degree to which various contract models and assumptions would affect the cost-effectiveness of such a commitment for the case of a malaria vaccine. Under conservative assumptions, we document that the intervention would be highly cost-effective from a public health perspective. Sensitivity analyses suggest most characteristics of a hypothetical malaria vaccine would have little effect on the cost-effectiveness, but that the duration of protection against malaria conferred by a vaccine strongly affects potential cost-effectiveness. Readers can conduct their own sensitivity analyses employing a web-based spreadsheet tool.

Early-Life Malaria Exposure and Adult Outcomes: Evidence from Malaria Eradication in India

We examine the effects of exposure to malaria in early childhood on educational attainment and economic status in adulthood by exploiting geographic variation in malaria prevalence in India prior to a nationwide eradication program in the 1950s. We find that the program led to modest increases in household per capita consumption for prime age men, and the effects for men are larger than those for women in most specifications. We find no evidence of increased educational attainment for men, and mixed evidence for women.Economic

Cyber Collaboratory-based Sustainable Design Education: A Pedagogical Framework

Educators from across the educational spectrum are faced with challenges in delivering curricula that address sustainability issues. This article introduces a cyber-based interactive e-learning platform, entitled the Sustainable Product Development Collaboratory, which is focused on addressing this need. This collaboratory aims to educate a wide spectrum of learners in the concepts of sustainable design and manufacturing by demonstrating the effects of product design on supply chain costs and environmental impacts. In this paper, we discuss the overall conceptual framework of this collaboratory along with pedagogical and instructional methodologies related to collaboratory-based sustainable design education. Finally, a sample learning module is presented along with methods for assessment of student learning and experiences with the collaboratory

A phase II, randomized, open-label, 52-week study of seladelpar in patients with primary biliary cholangitis

Background & aims: We examined the efficacy and safety of seladelpar, a selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta agonist, in adults with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) at risk of disease progression (alkaline phosphatase [ALP] ≥1.67xupper limit of normal [ULN]) who were receiving or intolerant to ursodeoxycholic acid. Methods: In this 52-week, phase II, dose-ranging, open-label study, patients were randomized (1:1) to seladelpar 5 mg/day (n = 53) or 10 mg/day (n = 55) or assigned to 2 mg/day (n = 11; United Kingdom sites after interim analysis) for 12 weeks. Doses could then be uptitrated to 10 mg/day. The primary efficacy endpoint was ALP change from baseline to Week 8. Results: Mean baseline ALP was 300, 345, and 295 U/L in the 2 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg cohorts, respectively. Twenty-one percent of patients had cirrhosis, 71% had pruritus. At Week 8, mean ± standard error ALP reductions from baseline were 26 ± 2.8%, 33 ± 2.6%, and 41 ± 1.8% in the 2 mg (n = 11), 5 mg (n = 49), and 10 mg (n = 52) cohorts (all p ≤0.005), respectively. Responses were maintained or improved at Week 52, after dose escalation in 91% and 80% of the 2 mg and 5 mg cohorts, respectively. At Week 52, composite response (ALP <1.67xULN, ≥15% ALP decrease, and normal total bilirubin) rates were 64%, 53%, and 67%, and ALP normalization rates were 9%, 13%, and 33% in the 2 mg, 5 mg, and 10 mg cohorts, respectively. Pruritus visual analog scale score was decreased in the 5 mg and 10 mg cohorts. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events, and 4 patients discontinued due to adverse events. Conclusions: Seladelpar demonstrated robust, dose-dependent, clinically significant, and durable improvements in biochemical markers of cholestasis and inflammation in patients with PBC at risk of disease progression. Seladelpar appeared safe and well tolerated and was not associated with any increase in pruritus. Gov number: NCT02955602 CLINICALTRIALSREGISTER. Eu number: 2016-002996-91 LAY SUMMARY: Current treatment options for patients living with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are not optimal due to inadequate effectiveness or undesirable side effects. Patients with PBC who took seladelpar, a new treatment being developed for PBC, at increasing doses (2, 5, or 10 mg/day) for 1 year had clinically significant, dose-dependent improvements in key liver tests. Treatment appeared safe and was not associated with any worsening in patient self-reported itch scores. Keywords: Clinical study; Primary biliary cholangitis; Seladelpa

Screening and isolating eastern redcedar phytochemicals for creating economic opportunities in Missouri [abstract]

Eastern Redcedar (ERC) is one of the most widely distributed tree species in Missouri. The ERC is an important source of bioactive secondary metabolites, but very few of these biologically active compounds have been identified, purified or commercialized. An interdisciplinary collaboration between MU scientists was initiated in 2007 to identify and isolate biologically active phytochemicals from ERC tissues for possible commercial application. Our team has identified and purified biologically active compounds from leaves (needles) and fruit of the ERC. Many of these isolated diterpenoids not only have shown strong anti-microbial activities against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria, but also strong inhibitory activities against melanin biosynthesis. Recently, the isolated tricyclic diterpenoids have been recognized as promising anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and skin whitening agents by cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The objectives of the proposed study are to: 1) isolate and characterize the biologically active phytochemicals, and 2) elucidate chemical structures of active compounds and their associated mode of actions. The first of these compounds to be characterized is the purified bioactive diterpenoid. The purified bioactive diterpenoid was found to have a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of all Gram positive pathogens tested. This inhibition of Gram positive bacteria is likely due to action on the cell division machinery, for affected cells elongate without proper separation. Additional compounds have activity on fungal agents, as well as potential anti-melanin activities. The knowledge generated from our research will provide the opportunities to turn abundant, low-value, renewable materials from the ERC into a lucrative, high technology industry in Missouri. INVENTOR(S): Chun-Ho Lin; Brian M. Thompson; Hsin-Yeh Hsieh; Robert J. Kremer; Robert N. Lerch; Michael A. Gold and Harold E. Garrett CONTACT INFO: Harriet F. Francis, MS; J.D.; [email protected]; 573.884.0374 Per Stromhaug, Ph.D., MBA; [email protected]; 573.884.355

Sex differences in gout characteristics: tailoring care for women and men

BACKGROUND: To characterize the differences between women and men with gout. METHODS: We analyzed a US national cohort of gout patients cared for by rheumatologists. RESULTS: Compared with the 1012 men with gout, women with gout (n = 262) were older (71 vs. 61 years, p \u3c 0.001) and had a greater burden of comorbid conditions (p \u3c 0.001 for hypertension, diabetes, renal disease and obesity). Risk factors for gout differed with women more often taking diuretics (p \u3c 0.001), while men more frequently had dietary triggers (p \u3c 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The profiles of women and men with gout are markedly different, suggesting a need to tailor treatment recommendations