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Whilst Julia generously donates $80M to Bill Gates' world polio eradication plans, she's letting chooks out the pen that may soon grow up to lay golden eggs and she doesn't know it.
"The world's richest man, Bill Gates, met Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Canberra this morning to lobby for an increase to Australia's $5 billion overseas aid budget."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-28/bill-gates-lobbies-pm-for-more-aid/4716820
Irish biopharma, on other hand, is booming thanks to genuine committment and investment ($10B) deployed by their gov.
"DUBLIN - Ireland in recent years has become a hub for the world's pharmaceutical industry. Now, looking to expand market in China, government officials and pharmaceutical firms are wooing China's counterparts for burgeoning deals and closer relations.
...
O'Driscoll said it's a key component to develop the industry in Ireland. "It's an industry based on science and technology so all the new products are very much based on research and development so having a strong internationally focused R&D sector is a critical component," he said.
Heavey said there's been a big focus as part of government efforts to prioritize the investment of the 8 billion euros ($10.3 billion) in research funding."
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-05/27/content_16534946.htm
(Ireland's pharma industry earned 56M export euros in 2012!!)
Meanwhile Benitec cannot get a dollar from the Aus gov, despite the IP opportunity it holds.
One shot treatments for each of HIV, HCV, & HBV would go a long way to reducing third world suffering. And be a nice earner to sell to the western world helping to pull us out of our soon to be abandoned mine quarry.
I did write to the Fed Gov when they announced their war on Alzheimers, suggesting they collab with Benitec to really take the fight to this terrible disease. After about 2 months i got a reply to tell me the Alzheimer's federal funding programme was more a paliative care one.
i think even the Gradalis / Mary Crowley / Congressman funding model achieves more for the greater good than our union shop model of doing things (or undoing things rather)
