-3- 
LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION IN THEIR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 
AS THEIR RECORD OF INNOVATION AND ACCOMPLISHMENT CLEARLY SHOWS. 
IT IS NOT SURPRISING, THEREFORE, THAT SCIENTISTS IN THE DRUG 
INDUSTRY ARE GENERALLY WELL AWARE OF THE PIONEER WORK IN DNA RESEARCH 
WHICH LED TO THE DISCOVERY THAT DNA FRAGMENTS BEARING DISSIMILAR BUT 
IMPORTANT GENETIC INFORMATION, COULD BE RECOMBINED IN A HOST CELL TO 
CREATE HITHERTO UNKNOWN GENETIC SPECIES. 
Industry scientists immediately recognized the potential 
APPLICATIONS OF THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY TO MANY BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES, 
PARTICULARLY IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE AND AGRICULTURE, AND MORE 
SPECIFICALLY IN THE PRODUCTION OF IMPORTANT DRUGS FROM NATURAL SOURCES. 
It IS ALSO WELL RECOGNIZED BY SCIENTISTS IN THE DRUG INDUSTRY AND 
ELSEWHERE THAT THERE ARE POTENTIAL RISKS INHERENT IN THIS NEW 
TECHNOLOGY AND THAT GREAT CAUTION MUST BE EXERCISED IN SEEKING ITS 
BENEFITS FOR MANKIND. We BELIEVE THE DRUG INDUSTRY HAS THE PROVEN 
SCIENTIFIC EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITY TO EXERCISE THAT JUDGMENT. 
REC0M3INANT DNA RESEARCH HAS BEEN, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE, 
THE SUBJECT OF MUCH DEBATE ON THE QUESTION OF BALANCING SCIENTI C !C 
FREEDOM TO PURSUE NEW AVENUES OF RESEARCH ON THE ONE HAND, AND 
THE NEED FOR PEER REVIEW AND COMPLIANCE WITH VOLUNTARY CONTROLS ON 
THE OTHER. We 3ELIEVE THAT THESE TWO CONCEPTS ARE COMPATIBLE AND 
ARE ACCEPTED 3Y RESPONSIBLE SCIENTISTS AND MANAGEMENT IN THE DRUG 
INDUSTRY AND BY OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY. To THIS 
END, IT IS OUR OPINION THAT A GOOD START HAS BEEN MADE IN THE 
"Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules", 
PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER ON JULY 7 BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES 
of Health. 
uii] 
