Table 3 Potential motivations for organizations to participate in an open source drug discovery project
Innovator | Funder or Performer? | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
Emerging country biotechnology, pharmaceutical or vaccine manufacturers | Both | • Employee retention - allowing employees to participate in external projects as a percent of their work week to increase work satisfaction • Employee training - new employees can receive on-the-job training by contributing to open source projects and receive performance appraisal by the community • Monetary - projects with external funds may hire industry to perform specific tasks • Monetary - payment for the drugs manufactured • Open innovation - receive ideas and feedback from external sources in exchange for assurances that the end result will be made available affordably to developing nations • Simplify regulatory process - making the research data publicly-available and open to scrutiny may engender more trust on behalf of the regulatory body |
Large, multi-national biotechnology, pharmaceutical or vaccine manufacturers | Both | All from above plus: • Reputation - corporate social responsibility • Priority regulatory review - if they champion a project for a neglected disease, they may receive a priority review voucher (open source may speed up the process to the voucher) |
Small, niche biotechnology or pharmaceutical manufacturers | Both | • Monetary - may open external funding opportunities that were otherwise closed • Monetary - payment for the drugs manufactured • Open innovation - receive ideas and feedback from external sources in exchange for assurances that the end result will be made available affordably to developing nations |
Charities | Funder | • Aid - Developing country scientists and innovators gain free access to utilize the research or further develop it • Efficiency - tasks should be delivered faster and cheaper • Transparency - donors can readily see how their money is being used, rather than relying solely on reporting mechanisms |
Governments | Funder | • Aid - Developing country scientists and innovators gain free access to utilize the research or further develop it • Efficiency - tasks should be delivered faster and cheaper • Innovation and subsequent tax revenues - anyone can take the publicly-funded research and further develop it for other aims with potentially profitable outcomes • Transparency - citizens can readily see how their money is being used |
Product development partnerships | Funder | • Competition - may create a competitive landscape between individuals and/or organizations attempting to complete the task first • Efficiency - tasks should be delivered faster and cheaper • Transparency - donors can readily see how their money is being used, rather than relying solely on reporting mechanisms |
Academic institutions, government research organizations and research hospitals | Performer | • Efficiency - feedback on research can be received long before publishing • Fair play - anyone can take the publicly-funded research and further develop it for other aims • Transparency - citizens can readily see how their money is being used |
Contract research organizations | Performer | • Monetary - projects with external funds may hire CROs to perform specific tasks • Signaling - demonstration of abilities for potential employers |
Generics manufacturers | Performer | • Monetary - payment for the drugs manufactured |