The Present-day World of Biotechnology

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
What Is Being Done
What Could Be Done
What Is Still Being Researched and How
How Has the Respective Field Changed
What Is Controversial
Conclusion
References

Abstract

Biotechnology has recently gained momentum because of the development in research. This has led to develop quite a few of the biotech products which are seen as the fine solution of some very complex issues present to the world today. However, this very branch of science also receives criticism on issues like messing up with environment. What is then needed is to arrive at a point where a safe stand can be insured for this very science so that the world can benefit from the development in this very area.

Introduction

That paper looks at research in the present-day world on biotechnology and certain products that this science has developed as of today. The paper examines this issue in details by taking into consideration cases from around the world and especially from the countries which are the major players in biotech research and product development in the world. The paper summarizes the whole discussion in the last section and arrives at a critical analysis of the entire research done in the paper.

What Is Being Done

Reviewing the literature on biotechnology reveals that a number of initiatives have been taken by different countries to promote research on biotechnology. One such effort is worth-mentioning here. The United States of America is one country that has keep high pace with regard to research on biotechnology. According to reports, the U.S. biotechnology industry now has an approximate number of 1000 companies working for the growth in biotechnological inventions and research.

These companies have an income which is nearly 50 billion dollars a year. There are a number of companies which stand on the top bracket of the biotechnology research, however, Boigen, Genzyme, Amgen, Genentech, and Monsanto are the largest of the companies in the U.S. What is important is that in the above statistics pharmaceuticals may also be included because biotechnology is now used to develop new drugs. This boom, none the less, in U.S. context simply is the result of massively growing demand of medications and drugs by the health care sector.

This demand leads to immense production of biotech drugs in the U.S. Research in the domain of biotechnology drugs and other products reveals that so far the most groundbreaking success has been achieved in the development of therapeutic medications (which are also called biologics), “genetically-modified plants; and medical diagnostic tools such as DNA testing” (“The U.S. Biotechnology”, 2006).

It is the dealing with the living cells and their elements which is the hallmark recognition of the biotechnological development to produce new drugs and other products. The field is so broad now that it is possible to find a company which produces only research tools; whereas, another is producing biotech drugs only. It is important to note that usually a biotech company might come out of a university research department; it is so because new research, which expands into a giant production, comes out of the university research department.

What Could Be Done

Although a great deal of research has now been done in the world on biotechnology-based drugs and research tools and a number of other areas, the lion share of this development comes from only a few of the world’s technologically advanced countries such as U.S.A., European Union, and Japan. These three blocks of technological advancement have recently started a process of monitoring a number of biotechnological products in the world market through Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). This research center gives rights to the three above mentioned countries to issue registration for biotech products and launch of those products in the global market.

However, looking at the situation world over, it seems very important that these countries come into close association with other countries especially the third world countries with regard to the development of the biotech products. This is stated due to the fact that biotech development around the world would insure a better and secure life for the entire human race in the world. This goal can be achieved if research and production coordination can be maintained with other countries. And these three blocks, being the leaders in biotech, can assist the rest of the world to develop biotech products and supplement biotech research (“Global Biotechnology”, 2003).

What Is Still Being Researched and How

A number of companies operating in the United States of America, Canada, European Union, Japan, and elsewhere are busy in conducting a number of experiments in the domain of biotech drugs and tools. Henceforth, research by one of the leading companies, Generex Biotechnology Corporation, tells us that today biotech research is aimed at developing more efficient biotech and drug delivery mechanism. Up to very present, the company has put its prime attention to develop “a platform technology for the buccal delivery of large molecule drugs that, historically, have been administered only by injection”.

The first application of this development that the company has reached is to formulate insulin into the oral cavity in the form of a fine spray. The company is putting efforts by involving researchers from other companies to develop its product. Insulin products, as such, form the hub-focus of biotech products. Other assignments that the company is working on are the biotech products that can help better treat the prostate cancer (Generex Biotechnology, 2001).

How Has the Respective Field Changed

Looking at the specific case of Generx Corporation, and its focus on the above mentioned products and projects in biotech, point to the direction that these very areas have emerged from a number of different sources that the company has made use of to reach to this stage. Some of the clear factors in this regard are collaboration of the companies with a number of outside sources such as clinical research studies in similar areas, discussion on broader panels for the under-study products and projects, monitoring the activities conducted for the development of different products, and so forth. In this way, the company has reached to a point where it can be said that it has achieved its goals of at least initiating the biotech research on insulin-related products and better treatment solution of prostate cancer.

However, one thing that is considered worthy of mention here by the present writer is that the company is criticized for saying more than what it has done in the very area of biotech research. Criticism drives from the fact that company holds an optimistic stance on the development of certain biotech products very soon which it has not yet developed. This is something that is received with criticism and it is said that the company should avoid such “forward-looking” statement because they are more to lead one to “undue reliance on such statement” (Generex Biotechnology, 2001).

What Is Controversial

There a quite a few areas which are considered controversial in the biotech research and product development; however, one very attention-catching area is the impact of biotechnology research on a certain social and economic aspects of citizens and the related ethical problems that emerge from this complex impact. The debate takes into consideration as to how risks and advantages of biotech development can be better defined which carry benefits for people on the whole without stopping or barring the directions of biotech research. Ethical issues are at the surface of this debate today (“Biotechnology”, 1992).

Another very important issue that has acquired much scholarly and policymaking attention regarding biotechnology is its impact on environment every since this much younger science started its practices in the mid 1990s. Criticism is also being directed in the experiments which went wrong or completely in the other direction. Some people like Matt Rand think that biotech experiments is like messing up with the proper order of life bestowed upon human being and on planet earth which can, though, not be stopped because of the gains that biotechnology seems to promise for life on the whole (“Impact of Biotechnology”, 2002).

Conclusion

The paper discusses in detail that biotechnology products and research has now moved into the direction of providing solution to more complex problems like better treatment of prostate cancer and is on the continual development regarding a number of biotech tool and research projects. The controversy with biotech that it messes up with natural order of life and environment also find their place in the scholarly discourse of biotech research. Hence, what is needed is to work out a safe and sound criterion by which benefits for biotech can be proved fruitful for life on the planet in general.

References

Biotechnology (1992). “Biotechnology: European Citizens’ Defence Groups Sponsor Audit.” Europe Environment. Europolitics. Web.

Generex Biotechnology (2001). “Generex Biotechnology to Present Six Research Studies at the 5th Annual Canadian Diabetes Association/Canadian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism Professional Conference.” PR Newswire. PR Newswire Association LLC.

Global Biotechnology (2003). “Global Biotechnology Product Registration: E.U., U.S., and Japan.” M2 Presswire. M2 Communications Ltd.

Impact of Biotechnology (2002). “Applications, Impact of Biotechnology Continue to Grow.” Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) (via Knight-Ridder/TribuneBusiness News). Web.

The U.S. Biotechnology (2006). “The U.S. Biotechnology Industry Includes About 1,000 Companies, With Combined Annual Revenue Close to $50 Billion.” Business Wire.

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