Britain Pays For Stupidity Over Research

Chronicle (Levin), 31 August 1949, Page 5

Britain Pays For Stupidity Over Research

(N.7. P.A.-

- Reuter .

Covyright)

Received Tuesdav, 7 p.m. LONDON, August 30. Professor 7-1 r nest Chain who shared the Nobel Pri 7.0 for the discoyerv of penicillin with Sir Alexander Fleming and Rir Howard Florov, has given up research work in Britain and aeeopted an appointment to the chair of chemistrv at Rome University. The News Chronicle says Professor Ohaiu has left Britain because the Ttalians have agreed to provide liim with facilitios for further research into micro-u-ganisms and moulds wliich might • iiave properties akin to penicillin. ITe endeavoured without success to obtaia similar facilities in Britain. The News Chronicle points out that Britain, whose scientisfs discovered penicillin, is now paying high royalties to Amerieans for the use of technical processes necessarv for its manufaeture, all because Britain refused to patent tliese' procesess when the drug was first discovered. Britain is also paying lurgs sums for streptomycin, another crug which was discovered as the resc.lt of research which extended the, nork done 011 penicillin. The Chronicle fontends that in the field of commercial dev-elopnient of antibiotics, Britain is being left behind as she was in the' la«»t century when she lost the commer | cial development of aniline dyes to tlie Gennans. j j