Research bill hits public health. A Noble-prize winner has said people should be told to look after their health instead of expecting science to "come to their rescue with a pill". [BBC News | Health | UK Edition]

"A Noble-prize winner has said people should be told to look after their health instead of expecting science to "come to their rescue with a pill".

Professor Sydney Brenner, said more money should be invested in health education than in designing genetically tailored drugs.

He said focussing on healthy living messages would save lives.

The molecular biology expert said only drug companies benefited from the current emphasis on medical research.  He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Everything is being driven into the support of the pharmaceutical industry.

"There are two kinds of health care. There's taking care of the health of the public and there's taking care of the financial health of the drug companies.

"You hear all these things about the human genome or personalised medicine and newer and safer drugs.

"Maybe what we ought to think about is maybe there is a new public health to be created. Maybe we should start to think of other ways of doing it."  ..."

8:39:06 PM