Open AccessPublic–private interaction in pharmaceutical research
Author(s) -
Iain M. Cockburn,
Rebecca Henderson
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.93.23.12725
Subject(s) - incentive , reciprocal , private sector , public sector , public economics , exploit , business , process (computing) , public relations , economics , microeconomics , political science , computer science , economic growth , computer security , linguistics , philosophy , economy , operating system
We empirically examine interaction between the public and private sectors in pharmaceutical research using qualitative data on the drug discovery process and quantitative data on the incidence of coauthorship between public and private institutions. We find evidence of significant reciprocal interaction, and reject a simple “linear” dichotomous model in which the public sector performs basic research and the private sector exploits it. Linkages to the public sector differ across firms, reflecting variation in internal incentives and policy choices, and the nature of these linkages correlates with their research performance.