Who Owns Your Genes? Expert Debate At National Scientific Meeting

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Who Owns Your Genes? Expert Debate At National Scientific Meeting

Main Category: Genetics

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/130186.php

Genetic science's potential to save lives may be compromised by

anachronistic patent laws, according to a leading genetic cancer

specialist and a patents lawyer who will make their case at a

groundbreaking debate in Sydney today (20/11).

Doctors, lawyers, industry representatives and healthcare consumers

will debate the topical question of 'Who owns your genes?' at a

special session of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia

Annual Scientific Meeting at the Sydney Convention Centre.

Moderated by journalist Negus, the debate coincides with the

announcement last week of a Senate inquiry into gene patenting.

Chair of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia's familial

cancer group, Dr Graeme Suthers, said the debate was timely in the

context of the recent announcement by a Melbourne biotechnology

company to enforce its exclusive rights to test for BRCA1 and BRCA2,

genes that indicated an inherited risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

" Genetic science is still in its infancy, yet we already face

potential barriers to independent research, innovation and quality

assurance if commercial interests are able to monopolise elements of

the technology, " he said. " Imagine if GPs had to pay a licensing fee

every time they checked a patient's blood pressure. If we don't get

the law right now, we could end up in a quagmire when genetic

procedures become common practice. "

Dr Luigi Palombi, a patent lawyer and academic from Australian

National University, said he hoped the debate would demonstrate the

anachronisms in patent law. " Genetic sequences are not inventions and

patents should only be granted for inventions - it's that simple, " Dr

Palombi said. " Our genes should not be subject to patent monopolies

that have the effect of giving exclusive control of our genes to

commercial or other organisations. "

The debate will also feature Gilbert, a director of

AusBiotech, Terry from IP Australia, Dianne Nicol from the Law

Faculty at the University of Tasmania and consumer Jo Karney.

The debate will start at 3.30pm today (20/11) at the Clinical

Oncololgical Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting, Sydney

Convention Centre, Darling Harbour.