Common Sense for the Biochemist

You know, I am all about the promotion of the biotech industry. Sometimes, though, I just think it goes too far. The hospital in my hometown of Owensboro, KY, just added a new center for the treatment of cancer. Included in this center, as an added bonus, will be a research facility that houses 4-5 investigators. That is all good for Owensboro, its about time more high-tech jobs were created there. However, the story in the Messenger-Inquirer goes on to state that (and I paraphrase):

-- Researchers will explore tobacco-produced cancer medicines.

-- Large Scale Biology, a biopharmaceutical company in Owensboro, will probably be involved in the manufacture of products used in the research center in the hopes that a tobacco-based vaccine can be created.

-- Local tobacco growers may be asked to produce leaf for the research.

Hold on here. . .the lab benches have not even been filled yet and the paper (or the sources behind the article) are already suggesting that local tobacco growers MAY be needed to produce leaf. Holy crap! The general public and local farmers have no idea as to the development process of a biologic drug. If a layfarmer reads this, they are going to be plowing their fields in anticipation. All this is doing is just getting the farmers excited about something that in all reality, has a slim chance of becoming a reality and if it does become a reality, is AT LEAST five years off. By that time, who knows who will be the major PMP industry players in Owensboro, so why suggest that it would only be one company involved in the manufacturing? Like I said, there is a certain amount of hyping that goes on within the biotech industry that is necessary (to recruit investors, to build confidence within the public, etc. . .), however, too much hype and not enough action can lead to the exact opposite of what is intended. Lets hope for Owensboro's sake that this cancer center can accomplish what they say they will.