A biomedical scientist who spent years working at one of Canada's top cancer research facilities got disappointed with research and has written a book on his experience. He questions the fundamental structure of how cancer research works in North America.
Nenad Cicmil completed his PhD at the University of Illinois before being recruited to work at the Ontario Cancer Institute at Princess Margaret Hospital, a top-tier cancer center in Canada. His specialized skill set was rare enough that the institution imported him from abroad. But what he witnessed during his time there ultimately led him away from active research and toward a critical examination of the entire system.
The Patent Problem
At the heart of Cicmil's argument is a legal change that took place in 1981. Before that year, any scientific discovery made using U.S. public funding automatically became property of the government. This arrangement led to outcomes like the polio vaccine, which was never patented and could be manufactured by anyone once the research was published.
The current system works differently. Public money funds the initial research at institutions like the one where Cicmil worked. When researchers make a promising discovery, it gets patented and pitched to venture capital firms. Private companies then develop the drug, and if successful, patients pay premium prices because of patent protections. Taxpayers, in effect, pay twice: once through their tax dollars that funded the research, and again at the pharmacy counter.
According to Cicmil, this creates perverse incentives. Researchers often overstate their findings to attract venture capital, while patients wait hopefully for breakthrough treatments. His
analysis of cancer research funding draws from firsthand experience watching how science operates at the highest levels.
Why "Do Not Run For Cancer"?
"Run For Cancer" is a catchy slogan designed to raise funds for research. There are many people who think that they are contributing to something noble if they participate in the race or donate money. Rather than write a dry policy treatise, Cicmil structured his
book about pharmaceutical development practices to appeal to a general audience. He added chapters designed to make the material more engaging, aiming for readers interested in cancer, science, or medical thrillers. The book is intended to inform readers by shocking them first with various topics one can contemplate in free time.
The book reflects an unusual combination of expertise. Cicmil isn't just a trained scientist—he's also developed other skills outside the laboratory to maintain balance of mind. He's an accomplished designer and an amateur composer.
Looking Ahead
Cicmil's public speaking skills and his insider knowledge of how elite cancer research operates position him quite well to contribute to conversations about
scientific research funding and advising potential donors on the terms of their donations. Research centers should not get donations with no strings attached.
Whether the public appetite exists for fundamental changes to research funding remains to be seen. But Cicmil's credentials and direct experience give weight to his critique of a system that he argues has strayed far from serving the patients it's meant to help.
