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No pharmaceutical company is making money by selling…

“No pharmaceutical company is making money by selling biological knowledge - they make money by selling chemicals. So getting as much of that knowledge as possible into the efficiency of the Web-commerce world is going to make it faster to find those chemicals.” quote by John Wilbanks
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“No pharmaceutical company is making money by selling biological knowledge - they make money by selling chemicals. So getting as much of that knowledge as possible into the efficiency of the Web-commerce world is going to make it faster to find those chemicals.”

John Wilbanks

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Commercial biotech profits from selling chemicals, not the underlying biological insights; sharing that knowledge online speeds discovery and reduces costs.

In simple terms: Biotech makes money selling chemicals, not knowledge; sharing knowledge speeds progress.

Key Takeaway

Promote open data to accelerate chemical discovery.

Themes

biotech open science economics innovation

Mood

analytical optimistic

Type

strategic informative

When to use this quote

  • research collaborations
  • startup incubators
  • policy reform

Key Concepts

knowledge sharing digital platforms pharma business

Questions to Reflect On

  • What incentives encourage sharing?
  • How to protect privacy while sharing?
A Different Perspective

Open data may face IP and privacy hurdles.

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