Monthly Archives: July 2012

Jordanian intellectual property protection may limit access to medicine

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{credit}David Richfield{/credit}

Jordan joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2000, which led to the country strengthening its level of intellectual property protection. A new study published in the Journal of Generic Medicines suggests that this may be harming Jordanians’ access to medicines due to a delay in the introduction of generic medicines into the market.

According to the research, this delay has cost private consumers in Jordan approximately US$18 million in 2004 in extra costs. In a study of medicines marketed in Jordan between 1999 (before joing WTO) and 2004, annual spending on medication in Jordan increased by 17%. Also, when comparing the prices of originator drugs and generic drugs in 1999 and 2004, the researchers found that generally, the prices for originator drugs have been increasing and the generic ones decreasing after Jordan’s entry into the World Trade Organization.

Intellectual property protection is an incentive for companies to invest in new innovations and spur development. However, this study, along with others, argue that stronger protection schemes can limit access to medicines in the developing world. The researchers suggest that Jordan should amend its current regulatory scheme on data protection. Currently, the Jordanian law prevents approval of generic applications that rely on originator approval. The researchers suggest this needs to be changed, making the fact that an originator drug was approved enough for the generic to get an approval as well.

Prior studies have suggested that the stronger intellectual property protection may be helping the Jordanian economy. According to Intellectual Property Watch, a report by the International Intellectual Property Institute (IIPI) in August 2004 suggested that the a significant expansion in the country’s economy between 1998 and 2001 was due to better IP protection. The report also noted that pharmaceutical exports from Jordan expanded 30% from 1999 to 2002.

In conclusion, the report authored by Abbott, R. et al. suggest that nations considering to enter into agreements to strengthen their intellectual property protection for pharmaceuticals should be aware of the negative impact this can have on developing world coutnries. ” This risk should be carefully balanced against possible benefits such as tariff reductions and increased foreign direct investment.”

Gulf states on track for knowledge-based economies

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Qatar Science & Technology Park{credit}QSTP{/credit}

According to the recently released “industrial map” from the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are on their way to have knowledge-based economies by 2020. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have put this high on their agenda to diversify their economies, prepare for a post-oil future and ensure more sustainable development.

Qatar is leading the Gulf region in science spending , paving the way for the small state’s vision to become a science hub in the region. It currently spends 2.8% of GDP on scientific research, which is higher than the global average of 2.5%. While all three countries have attracted Western universities to open up local campuses, Qatar has attracted the largest number of these to it’s Education City, says the report.

Most of the investment in science research was going into the petrochemical industry. The GOIC map, however, highlights several “absent industries” – these are industries that are seeing a growing demand, but are not being produced locally, even though their needed resources are readily available.

The most significant of these absent industries is the chemical industry. This is mainly held back by the lack of know-how and the science related to the industry.  Other notable industries highlighted in the study as missing from the region are the production of acrinols, which are used in the production of plastics, and the chemicals used in water desalination, aluminium production and construction material.

There is also a serious need for more research into food industries since the region, which is mostly made up of arid deserts, imports over 90% of it’s food from overseas.

The study finally suggests more links between industries and research institutions to increase science funding, since industries may be unaware of the revenues research can have on them.

Young researchers vs. peer reviewing

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Alaa Ibrahim

For many eager young researchers, the first introduction to peer reviewing does not often go very smoothly. Most young researchers (and more than a few established ones) that I have met in the Arab world have blamed this on a ‘bias against Arabs and Muslims’.

This is, in my opinion, inherently untrue and unfounded. I have talked to several editors and peer reviewers and they have all stressed that there is no racial bias – or any other type of bias – involved. Rather, they challenge that the papers are usually of poor quality that is not publishable. With the large increase in the number of excellent manuscripts submitted, the selection process has become more vigorous.

While the peer reviewing process may not be perfect, it is the best option available now for scientists to streamline science and weed out bad or flawed research (whether intentional or unintentional) and has become an internationally accepted standard.

During the Euroscience Open Forum 2012 (ESOF 2012) which opened in Dublin yesterday, Alaa Ibrahim, an astrophysicist from the American University in Cairo, Egypt, gave his advice to young researchers starting their research career on how to handle the peer reviewing process. Here is a summary of his tips:

  1. Understand that the peer reviewing process is an essential part of proper science. It gives credibility to your work and acts as an initial endorsement of your work by the science community.
  2. Start early. You now have an option to be involved in undergraduate research during graduate school. This is useful to give you a feel for the peer review process and to understand and appreciate how it works.
  3. Be part of the research community in your particular discipline. Go to meetings and conferences and get engaged with the latest research taking place. Read papers and see how they are written to get a feel for the quality of published, peer-reviewed work.
  4. Get to know the leading researchers in your field. These are likely to be your editors and reviewers. They are usually experts so don’t be shy to ask them for their advice and even mentorship when you are still starting your research career.
  5. Present your research results at meetings and solicit feedback from senior researchers and peers before you go for publishing. Their advice could help improve your work to make it publishable before you submit (and possibly get refused)
  6. Once you have a good network of contacts among senior researchers in your field, circulate your paper among them for feedback and input before submitting your manuscript for review.
  7. When you are ready to submit your manuscript for publishing, aim for reputable, high impact journals. This is probably the biggest problem facing young researchers in the Arab world. In order to progress in some government-sponsored research institutes, the researchers are asked to publish as many papers as possible with no regards to the quality of the journals they publish in. Many resort to very poorly reviewed Iranian and Pakistani journals that have no impact factor.
  8. Later on when you have a more established career, accept to become a reviewer. This way you can become part of the ongoing process and continue to help refining the quality of science.
  9. Mistakes sometimes happen and they are usually honest mistakes, such as the example of cold fusion or faster than light neutrinos. These results are not reproducible so cannot be published or may be retracted later on. One should really be open to accept that mistakes may happen for many different reasons and be open to judgement and admitting their mistakes.

Ibrahim went on to explain that not everything is rosy with the peer reviewing process. There will sometimes be problems and the researcher must deal with these as they come up. Sometimes, there will be biased reviewers who refuse research due to adversary or a conflict of interest. He gave an example of how Robert Hooke blocked much of Isaac Newton’s work – who only managed to publish his book after Hooke’s death. Sometimes it may be necessary to seek a second opinion.

He also stressed that editors need to be involved in the peer reviewing process rather than being “postmen”. They should be a link between the researcher and the reviewer and explain the reviewers points of view to the researcher.

Finally, Ibrahim wrapped up by suggesting that the peer reviewing process should involve the public as well, through science journalism. The public should be empowered to ask for evidence of science and to understand the vigorous peer reviewing process that research goes through before it is accepted and finally published in reputable journals.

The social aspect of the Higgs boson

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On any average day, my Twitter feed is filled with political tweets from across the Arab world as revolutionaries struggle with post (and continuous) uprisings and revolutions across the region. Today, however, it looks quite different. Today it’s mostly filled up with science tweets – and they are coming from the unlikeliest tweeps too!

Here’s an excerpt:

“@MaieZeiny: Excited to be watching the latest findings of #Higgsboson will we finally discover how the universe really started? parallel universes?”

ATLAS Experiment{credit}© 2012 CERN{/credit}

While everyone is busy with their own things normally, today all eyes were turned towards CERN where scientists were announcing that experiments using the Large Hadron Collider have finally yielded proof of the presence of the Higgs boson, the last missing particle from the Standard Model theory, nicknamed the “god particle”. It is supposedly what gives all the basic building blocks of the universe their mass.

As physicists from across the globe gathered at the CERN auditorium for the announcement, millions around the world tuned in for the webcast of the event while others following live blogs from there. The two working research groups at CERN, ATLAS and CMS, announced they are 99.999% sure they have detected the Higgs boson, with the hall erupting in a standing ovation at the end.

This speaks volume to the inter-connective nature of science. People all around the world let down whatever they were doing or fighting for for a while just to follow what is possibly the biggest science discovery of our generation. The very nature of science is that it does not recognize country borders since it speaks to the very innate inquisitive human mind.

Beyond the scientific importance of discovering the Higg boson and how our universe works,  I also see an incredible social aspect to the discovery. It speaks volumes of the cross-boundary nature of science. It somehow brought everyone together for that brief moment in time.

As people across the Arab world are all dealing with their politics, revolutions, human rights issues and uprisings, science speaks to all of us equally and we become one. The only two human endeavours that are cross-boundary at this massive scale are art and science.

Science diplomacy is poised as a powerful tool to bridge gaps that have been there for too long. The Higgs boson announcement today – and the international response to it, is proof that science might well be one of the most powerful tools to bring people from around the world together for a common cause: our hunger for knowledge.

AUC and Zewail City partner for nanotechnology research centre

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{credit}Zewail City of Science and Technology{/credit}

The American University in Cairo and the Zewail City of Science and Technology have partnered to establish a new research centre for applied nanotechnology research.

The Center for Nanoelectronics and Devices (CND), which will be home to internationally published researchers from both institutes, will look into the uses of nanotechnology in diagnosing and combating diseases, water purification, improving food production and producing clean, renewable energy, among other fields.

“Our aim is to develop a world-class center of excellence that is closely tied to the industry and is recognized internationally,” said Yehea Ismail, professor of electronics engineering and director of the center, in a press statement. “Working on the creation of advanced electronic sensors and devices could help solve Egypt’s most pressing problems, from traffic to hepatitis C.”

The centre will mainly focus on the design and analysis of consumer electronic devices and tiny sensors that are smaller than one billionth of a metre. These are crammed on tiny chipsets that have wide uses in commercial products, such as computers, phones and a myriad of other electronic devices.

While the consumer electronic market has been booming around the world, the Arab world’s share in it has been mostly negligible due to lack of knowledgeable workforce. The CND hopes to produce an experienced workforce that can be leaders of the industry in the region to increase Egypt’s and the Arab world’s share in the ever-growing market.

“The partnership is an initial step toward long-term cooperation between the two institutions. In addition to the exchange of researchers, the partnership includes fellowships for students and will capitalize on state-of-the-art resources available at both AUC and Zewail City, particularly in the area of biotechnology and biomedical diagnostics,” said AUC Provost Medhat Haroun.

The centre hopes to build strong link between academia and the industry, both internationally and locally. According to the CND’s website, the centre already has strong ties with Intel and Mentor Graphics as well as several local companies.