○論文の要旨
高齢化の進展に伴う医療費の増加等を背景に、医療における科学技術政策の重要性がきわめて大きくなっている。本稿では、まずアメリカにおける医学・生命科学研究政策を日本との対比においてとらえることを通じて医療における科学技術政策を考える基本的な視点を提示し（Ⅰ）、続いて医療における技術革新の意味を主に医療技術革新と医療費の関係に注目しつつ論じ（Ⅱ）、さらに医療における研究開発と医療費配分のあり方を「持続可能な医療」という観点から考察し（Ⅲ）、これらを踏まえて今後の日本における医療技術政策の基本的課題を明らかにする（Ⅳ）。
○Abstract
Science and Technology in Medical Field and Healthcare Policy
Against the backdrop of increases in healthcare expenses associated with the aging of population, science and technology policy in healthcare has become more important. This article, i) first shows a basic viewpoint of biomedical research policy by describing the health technology policy of the United States as compared with that of Japan, ii) discusses the meaning of technological innovation in medical care by focusing mainly on the relationships between medical technology innovation and health care costs, iii) considers the relevant allocations and distributions of health care expenses from the perspective of “sustainable healthcare”, and iv) as a conclusion, clarifies the basic agenda in medical technology policy of Japan.