We disagree with Henry Miller that the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) should abandon plans to establish NCATS, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (Nature 472, 169; 2011).

Researchers in academia all too often lack access to drug-discovery infrastructure, hindering translation of NIH-funded basic research into new medicines. Although the pharmaceutical industry may step in, it tends to ignore disease types that it considers too risky.

NCATS would allow NIH-funded researchers to create proof-of-concept compounds for neglected-disease targets and biomarkers for drug development, and even to launch early-stage clinical studies. Such 'de-risked' projects would offer in-licensing opportunities for drug firms. The non-profit research community should also benefit (A. J. Stevens et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 364, 535–541; 2011).

Contrary to Miller's view, “government bureaucrats” will not decide which drugs to pursue. NIH programmes slated to move into the NCATS involve researchers at universities, hospitals and institutes, mostly using peer review to allocate funding.

The public is frustrated by the slow translation of basic research into clinical benefits. Venture investors and biotechnology companies are exacerbating this by replacing early-stage research and development with product in-licensing.