The crisis in financing is having a chilling effect on biomedical innovation. As discussed in my last column, the main problem in our industry is that the sheer cost of drug development has become almost prohibitively expensive, effectively pricing almost everyone but the largest companies out of the market.

The FDA is restricting the speech of private drug firms. This may violate the First Amendment rights of drugs companies.

When champions of genetically modified crops come face to face with the organic lobby, any common goals often get drowned out.

Medical breakthroughs from using existing drugs in new ways await discovery--if manufacturers have an incentive to pursue them.

The rapidly evolvingbiotech drugindustry requires policy to evolve with it, but there are dangers in changing laws too broadly, too fast.

Perhaps it's the sweet California air, but the pervasive (though not universal) pessimism in biopharma these days is really bumming me out.  Consequently, I'd like to discuss three potential responses to difficult industry problems.

Despite all of the regulatory baggage being heaped on the large drug makers in Washington, their biggest drags may be inside their own laboratories.

The best new drugs come out of entrepreneurial companies looking for profits.