Cost of developing and commercializing transgenic crops

摘要

Subsequent to the Current Science issue with a special section on transgenic crops, The Economist of 28 March carried several articles on biotechnology. A significant statement therein says: 'Developing a marketable transgenic strain is almost as costly as developing a new drug, and this kind of control of the market helps to make investing in transgenics worthwhile'. The cost of developing a modem medicine is currently estimated to be upwards of US 800 million dollar. This also partly answers the question raised by the guest editors in the editorial - 'How is it that while in the laboratories a large number of transgenics have been developed, very few are in the field?'