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Nature 436, 625 (4 August 2005) | doi:10.1038/436625a; Published online 3 August 2005

In Brief

The biotechnology industry and Elias Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health, have called on the US government to allow companies funded by venture capital to rejoin a research-support programme. Lawmakers decided two years ago that companies majority-owned by venture capitalists should be kicked off the Small Business Innovation Research programme and that participation should be limited to small, independent businesses.