3 ms·
I'm all for Pfizer getting recognition for their work, investment and success, but it is a bit frustrating that other people and institutions involved are not g
by aylons 5y ago
I'm all for Pfizer getting recognition for their work, investment and success, but it is a bit frustrating that other people and institutions involved are not getting any at all.
Specifically, I'm aware that Argonne National Laboratory[1] was involved in the discovery and development of this molecule, and I think we can safely assume there are other public institutions and universities involved as well.
This is just one more reason why people get alienated from the importance of public institutions they fund, and the importance of universities and academia.
[1] https://www.aps.anl.gov/APS-News/2021-11-06/aps-and-imca-cat-help-pfizer-create-covid-19-antiviral-treatment/2021-11-06/aps https://www.aps.anl.gov/APS-News/2021-11-06/aps-and-imca-cat...
- natechols 5y agoThe ANL maintains a large research facility called the Advanced Photon Source, a giant X-ray machine that the government rents out to academics (for free) and pharma companies (for $$$). The APS is very important and has been involved in many major pharma discoveries as well as a few Nobel prizes, and they pay very smart people to run their facilities, but the relationship is much more contractual than your comment implies. I don't know what beamtime at APS costs but if it's anything like other such facilities, Pfizer paid thousands of dollars an hour for the privilege of keeping their data collections private from staff and other users. (And to give credit where it's due, pharma execs have testified before Congress about the importance of these facilities.)