Who Owns Your Genes? Expert Debate At National Scientific Meeting

Main Category: Genetics
Article Date: 20 Nov 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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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 George 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 Michael Gilbert, a director of AusBiotech, Terry Moore 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.

Cancer Research UK