If you discover the medical value of sulfonamides, you have a chance to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine?

Quite possibly.

After all, this is before the advent of penicillin drugs, the most effective antibacterial drugs, which can save countless lives.

Aldrich took the students to record the results of the experiment, and happily said to Zhou Hexuan: "Zhou, I plan to publish a paper in The Lancet, and you are the second signed author of the paper, is it okay?" ”

"Of course you can, but I have to apply for a patent in advance." Zhou Hexuan said with a smile.

"No problem." Aldrich said without thinking.

The two parties had signed a sponsorship agreement before the experiment, and once the results of the experiment were significant, Zhou Hexuan, as the sponsor, automatically obtained the right to apply for a patent for the discovery.

Zhou Hexuan asked: "Although we have discovered the medical value of sulfonamides, we have not yet developed relevant drugs, so can we also apply for patents?" ”

Aldrich thought for a while and said: "You can apply for a patent for a new use of drugs, for example, if we find the killing effect of sulfonamides on hemosoluble streptococcus, then we can apply for relevant patents." As long as other pharmaceutical companies want to prepare sulfonamides that kill hemosoluble streptococcus, they must obtain our approval. ”

Zhou Hexuan somewhat understood: "In other words, if someone develops a sulfonamide drug that kills other bacteria, then they don't need to get our approval, they can apply for relevant sulfonamide drug patents on their own?" ”

"Yes, that's it." Aldrich said.

Zhou Hexuan immediately said: "Then I hope not to publish the paper for the time being, and wait for us to do a few more experiments to see if sulfonamide has an effect on other bacteria." ”

Aldrich was a little unhappy, and as a biochemist, he certainly wanted to publish his paper as soon as possible. This can not only allow him to win a huge honor, but also promote the development of the medical career, dragging the paper not to publish, is nothing more beneficial to Zhou Hexuan, the patent owner.

However, the direction of the experiment was proposed by Zhou Hexuan, and the experimental funds were also provided by Zhou Hexuan, Aldrich had to make a compromise, he said helplessly: "I will do other experiments as soon as possible, but I have a deadline, and I must publish the paper publicly within two months." ”

"I agree." Zhou Hexuan said with a smile. He also has to sign the paper, and after the academic paper is published, Zhou Hexuan has the right to apply for a patent first in a short period of time, even if other people follow to do relevant research, they can't snatch him in terms of patents.

Aldrich suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Mr. Zhou, do you have a property, a company, or a factory in London?" ”

"No, what's wrong?" Zhou Hexuan asked.

Aldrich laughed: "If you want to apply for a patent, then buy a house in the UK or register a company with a permanent office address." Otherwise, you can't apply for a patent, because China is not a member of the Paris Convention. ”

Zhou Hexuan hurriedly thanked: "Thank you for reminding me!" ”

The full name of the "Paris Convention" is the "Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property", and now major countries such as Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Japan and Italy have joined this convention organization (the Soviet Union has not joined it for the time being). As long as a patent is applied for in any country of the Paris Convention, then he has the right of priority to file for that patent in another country, provided that the applicant has the relevant nationality.

China has not joined the Paris Convention, so it can unscrupulously copy the patented products of other countries, and stipulate that foreigners cannot apply for patents in China, while Chinese people can apply for equivalent patents with a slight improvement of foreign patents - although it is useless to apply.

This was originally a protective policy, but now it is not good for Zhou Hexuan. As a non-signatory to the Paris Convention, if Zhou Hexuan wants to apply for a patent in the UK, he must first buy a house in the UK, or register a company and set up a factory (the company and the factory must have a long-term fixed address, and a leather bag company is not allowed).

Not only that, after Zhou Hexuan applied for a patent in the UK, if he wanted to continue to apply in the United States, he had to go to the United States to buy a house or open a company and build a factory. By analogy, if Zhou Hexuan wants to apply for patents in many countries around the world, he must buy houses in these countries one by one.

Is this a patent application, or is it a global property speculation?

Fortunately, in the midst of the world economic crisis, real estate in capitalist countries is very cheap, and Zhou Hexuan can buy houses everywhere waving banknotes.

Zhou Hexuan smiled: "Now that we have discovered the medical value of sulfonamides, when will we be able to develop new drugs?" ”

"I can't tell," Aldrich shook his head, "the timing of drug research is unpredictable, maybe a sulfonamide drug can be developed next year, or it may be ten years before there is a breakthrough, it depends on our luck." ”

"That's right." Zhou Hexuan was a little disappointed, and he was ready to set up a factory immediately.

Historically, although Dumak discovered the medical value of sulfonamides at the end of 1932, it was not until 1937 that someone developed a new drug "sulfamine". It took five years from the discovery of a new medical treatment to the successful development of a new drug.

As for the development process of penicillin drugs, it was even more bumpy, Feleming discovered penicillin in 1928, but due to technical research, it has not been purified, and can only be cultured from generation to generation. By 1939, Fleming provided all his research results to Flory and Money, who had made a breakthrough, and finally extracted penicillin crystals by freeze-drying.

Flory and Chin sought support with purified penicillin crystals, but no one was willing to invest in Europe, and finally traveled across the ocean to the United States to finally get help—cheapening the Yankees.

Zhou Hexuan thought for a while and said, "Professor Aldrich, I would like to sign a long-term cooperation agreement with you. I fund your research, the scientific credit goes to you, and I get the patent for the new drug, what do you think? ”

Whether it's the 20th or 21st century, the most important thing scientists want is research funding, and it's good to have a long-term sponsor. Aldrich laughed: "Zhou, you are so cute, as cute as the pound." How much money can you provide each year? ”

"Is £10,000 enough?" Zhou Hexuan asked.

The pound fell sharply this year due to the UK's abandonment of the gold standard last year, but the pound is trading at 3.51 against the dollar, and $35,000 a year in research and development is enough.

Aldrich smiled slyly: "With 20,000 pounds a year, I can speed up drug development." ”

"Professor, you should be a businessman, not a scientist." Zhou Hexuan laughed.

"You agree?" Aldrich asked.

"Of course, tomorrow I'll find a lawyer to draw up an agreement." Zhou Hexuan said.

Zhou Hexuan has a long-term plan for sulfonamides, and he has found professors from the University of London to cooperate in research and development, and then found Vivien Leigh's father to run the factory, and by the way, Prince Albert was brought in as a shareholder. With the participation of members of the royal family, no one should dare to stretch out their hands indiscriminately, and when Prince Albert ascends the throne and becomes king, it will be even more unimpeded.

It's a pity that this is all an afterthought, and the devil knows when the new drug will be successfully developed.

Zhou Hexuan's top priority now is to buy a house in London first and obtain the qualification to apply for a patent. He returned to the hotel in a happy mood, and the waiter came over respectfully and said, "Mr. Zhou, there is an Asian looking for you, and he has been waiting for a day. ”

Set yourself a small goal first: such as collecting:. Mobile version URL: m.