The new Obama drug initiative is of a piece with the administration's abiding faith in the virtue of government investment as a trump to private entrepreneurism. At the core of this religion is a faith that that the political allocation of capital leads to better, or at least more "equitable" outcomes.

While the world stands transfixed by the specter of a pandemic flu, a very different threat, bioterrorism, remains largely unaddressed.

Considers the impact of political intrusions on drug development and the consequence for America's biodefense.

If the swine flu virus should continue to spread, or the infections worsen, rapid development of a vaccine could be our best protection.

The political rhetoric surrounding embryonic stem-cell science reveals a widespread misconception of how medical products are created.

The president's ability to rapidly deploy a series of bioweapons sensors provides evidence why the development of appropriate antidotes could take much longer.

We have made progress in pandemic preparedness, but we have a long way to go in ensuring a vibrant and responsive vaccine sector.