學院資本主義下的美國生技醫藥產業：兼論台灣現況

Abstract

本文以深度訪談的質化研究及現成文獻，瞭解美國生技醫藥產業的產官學關係，並由此對照台灣生技醫藥產業的發展，論其挑戰與機會。美國政府鬆綁法規，促使具有創業精神的大學教授在創投業的奧援下，成立生技醫藥公司，促成產學合作，進而在大藥廠的協助下，完成新藥開發。美國由於完善的學術與行政法規，所以這股學院資本主義的潮流並未造成利益衝突與知識進用的問題，反而促使生技醫藥業帶有「理想」性格，從事大藥廠認為無利可圖的小眾新藥研發。相對的，台灣生技醫藥產業的產官學關係則主要由政府積極支持，由於法規對學界科學家創業有許多限制，產學合作有限，因此傳統產業與歸國學人紛紛積極投入。這些台灣生技醫藥公司由於缺乏創投業的支持，更無大藥廠的奧援，因此以同時製售健康食品與申請美國新藥人體試驗許可的「國際化」路線為生存的策略。目前美式學院資本主義雖尚未完全地發生於台灣，未來台灣如要發展生技醫藥產業仍需仔細思考教授創業與高等教育的角色定位。此外，發展台灣生技醫藥產業是否能帶來國內生產毛額的增加，也有待仔細評估。

The author uses interviews with Boston-based biomedical company managers and scientists, plus secondary data, to explain how industry-government-university relationships have facilitated the development of the American biomedical industry, and to address the relevant implications for Taiwan. The US government has relaxed regulations constraining faculty efforts to establish startup medical biotech firms with support from venture capitalists. With assistance from large pharmaceutical companies, this system is supporting the development of new drugs. In response to criticisms of expanding academic capitalism, institutions in the US use a mix of academic ethics and government regulations to control conflicts of interest and to maintain access to knowledge. In addition, American medical biotech firms are researching drugs and medical treatments neglected by large pharmaceutical companies concerned about profitability. While the Taiwan government is actively promoting the development of an indigenous biomedical industry, current regulations limit academic scientists’ efforts to establish firms based on their own research. Instead, these firms are being established by returning Taiwanese citizens with experience working for American biomedical/pharmaceutical companies, or by local businessmen in traditional industries seeking to diversify their companies. Lacking support from venture capitalists and large pharmaceutical corporations, some new Taiwanese medical biotech firms are surviving by producing/selling dietary supplements and many are seeking recognition from the US Food and Drug Administration for investigating new drugs. At this stage the role of academic researchers must be clarified in terms of the future development of a national biomedical industry in Taiwan. In addition, potential biomedical industry contributions to Taiwan’s GDP must be evaluated.