May 19 2008 / by juldrich
Category: Biotechnology Year: Beyond Rating: 7 Hot
By Jack Uldrich 
Cross-posted from www.jumpthecurve.net
One of my preferred methods for trying to understand where the
future might be headed is to look for those areas where technology
can address a compelling human need. To this point, this past
weekend I read with great interest this opinion piece in the Wall
Street Journal entitled “Why We Need a Market
for Human Organs.” It’s a well-reasoned piece and the sentiment
appeals to my more libertarian and free market-oriented
sensibilities. Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that within the
next 10-15 years advances in tissue and organ regeneration
technology will render the need for “organ markets” obsolete.
I have written about this idea before, but I’d encourage you to read this new
government report entitled “2020: A
New Vision – A Future for Regenerative Medicine.” According to
the report the current world market for replacement organ therapies
is in excess of $350 billion. More disturbing, however, is the fact
that there are currently over 100,000 patients are on a waiting
list for an organ donation and an estimated 8,000 people on that
list will die this year while waiting for a transplant. (cont.)
The latter situation is an unacceptable, but if one combines the
vast economic opportunity with the growing need for organ donation
(this need will only grow larger as millions of Baby Boomers age),
it is clear to me that the incentive (and, wuite likely, the
government funding) will be there for scientists, researchers and
entrepreneurs to address this issue in the years ahead.
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