The Bayh-Dole Act: a model for promoting research translation?

The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 was passed with the intention of promoting research into cancer and other diseases by providing institutions and researchers with a commercial incentive, even though much of their work was publicly funded. Now, many are questioning whether the system has worked as promised and some warn it may be jeopardizing the pursuit of science with no direct market relevance.