From PLoS Medicine: Innovation in Biomedicine

Recommended reading by yours truly:

With every biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device company, not to mention every university technology transfer office, trying to make a buck off medical research, is there any way to create new medical miracles without bankrupting the health care system? The May issue of the Public Library of Science: Medicine, released today on the web, contains a proposed solution: scientists who rely on government grants could be required to contribute their patents to an open-source pool sort of like the one that built the Linux computer operating system. Coupled with a prize system like the one proposed by Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), this alternative medical innovation system could make future therapeutics affordable while preserving financial incentives for true innovation. California, which is embarking on a $3 billion stem cell research program, would be the perfect place to start.