Tackling translation: The Parker Institute model

China’s rapid rise in life sciences is exposing a familiar U.S. problem: strong scientific discovery is not matched by an efficient system for turning ideas into medicines. As policymakers search for ways to close the gap, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy has emerged as a test case for whether translation can be made more deliberate.

“Discovery actually works pretty well in the U.S.,” CEO Karen Knudsen told BioCentury. “What we have is a problem with translation.” Addressing that gap is the institute’s core mission...