Medical Science in the 21st Century

Sunset or New Dawn?

This book sets out the unique and paradoxical position biomedical science finds itself in, in the early 21st (superscript st) century. Science has never been stronger in shaping the world we live in; progress in medical science during most of the last century has helped to transform health care and prolong our lives; almost daily advances in biological science promise hope for the future and yet medical science has been in serious decline for the past three decades.

Biomedical Science in the 21st (superscript st) Century: Sunset or New Dawn? sets out the recent decline in the context of medical science's stunning past successes. Professor Sheridan discusses the failure to translate new discoveries in biological science into medical advances; the dramatic decline in research productivity in the pharmaceutical industry in the context of falling numbers of clinical scientists; the disruption of medical science during prolonged and repeated reforms of health care delivery; changing social and political attitudes towards health care and science; the loss of trust in big pharmaceutical companies and recent revelations of fraud in science. The book deals with the creative nature of original science, how it is driven by curiosity and self-motivation and how these can be stifled by pettifogging managerialism.

The book presents a vision of what medical science can deliver during the coming half century and what is needed to overcome the present challenges. It questions the assumptions that big is best in the organisation of science and suggests a new model for drug development based on a restoration of trust and a more constructive relationship between regulators and industry.

Contents:

• The Rise and Fall of Medical Science in the 20th Century
• Advances in Medicine: How Are They Made?
• The Impact of the Changing Social, Political and Economic Environment on Medical Science
• Fraud in Biomedical Science
• The Decline of Biomedical Science Despite Unprecedented Technological Advances: A 21st Century Paradox
• Changes in Medical Professionalism in the 21st Century and Their Impact on Medical Science
• The Global Demographic Challenge: The Role of Medical Science
• Biomedical Science in Modern Economies: Innovation and Health
• The Centrality of Medical Science in the 21st Century: Protecting Health and Meeting Future Economic Challenges

Readership: Clinical scientists, scientists in drug discovery, biomedicine, biopharmaceuticals, policy makers, health & pharmaceutical industry.
Key Features:

• The topic, biomedical science, is of great importance to the economy and healthcare. It is currently undergoing rapid change as it is in some jeopardy and is seeking to redefine and rebuild itself
• A few books have been written about related topics e.g., fraud in science and criticism of pharmaceutical industry, but none have presented a balanced view of the overall picture of biomedical science and none have been written by a clinical scientist
• The book enters a market in which the debate about healthcare reform and its impact on biomedical science has become both lively and intense and is therefore highly relevant to current topical issues