Comments on: Patents On Genes Can Be Challenged, Court Rules

By: Jatmos

Jatmos — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:50:46 +0000

For further reading, search for Michael Crichton’s essay on Patenting Life for the NY Times.

By: Jatmos

Jatmos — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:49:27 +0000

Further reading:
http://www.michaelcrichton.net/essay-nytimes-patentinglife.html

By: Jatmos

Jatmos — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:48:13 +0000

Sirbasku, your comment is nonsense. I’m sure you’re defending someone’s bread-winning idea, but it’s utterly ridiculous to patent a piece of a human being. When they can artificially replicate genes, then can patent those. In the meantime, no one should hold exclusivity over what kind of care a patient can recieve on parts of their very own body. If patents had been around when people first cut open a cadaver, should they have been able to patent your gall bladder? Would you agree to hiked-up prices and stagnated research if you had gall stones? Same idea, only deeper.

By: David Sirbasku

David Sirbasku — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:42:19 +0000

This suit is nonsense. Many “natural products” are patented. This includes genes and parts of genes (i.e. nucleotide sequences). Taken to its conclusion, this suit will overturn MANY MANY patents the relate to natural products and their uses. The ACLU must stop or be thrown out of Court.

By: Roger D. Klein, MD JD

Roger D. Klein, MD JD — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:36:15 +0000

From this pathologist’s standpoint, patents on human genes and the relationships between genetic variations and disease phenotypes, prognosis, and response to therapy are beginning to place an enormous burden on our ability to care for our patients. Pathologists have always analyzed bodily specimens for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools. These analyses have involved both visual and chemical inspection. The science has continually evolved, enabling ever greater specificity through the addition of new tools such as antibodies and DNA probes. Molecular genetic testing is simply another iteration in this process, whereby we use a standard set of techniques to more accurately evaluate a patient’s specimen. Molecular evaluations will become increasingly important as greater numbers of genetic markers are found that predict drug responsiveness and/or disease course. Patents on human genes and the relationships between genetic variation and disesase phenotypes greatly obstruct our medical practices, and hinder our efforts to help patients.

By: Roger D. Klein, MD JD

Roger D. Klein, MD JD — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:35:36 +0000

From this pathologist’s standpoint, patents on human genes and the relationships between genetic variations and disease phenotypes, prognosis, and response to therapy a beginning to place an enormous burden on our ability to care for our patients. Pathologists have always analyzed bodily specimens for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools. These analyses have involved both visual and chemical inspection. The science has continually evolved, enabling ever greater specificity through the addition of new tools such as antibodies and DNA probes. Molecular genetic testing is simply another iteration in this process, whereby we use a standard set of techniques to more accurately evaluate a patient’s specimen. Molecular evaluations will become increasingly important as greater numbers of genetic markers are found that predict drug responsiveness and/or disease course. Patents on human genes and the relationships between genetic variation and disesase phenotypes greatly obstruct our medical practices, and hinder our efforts to help patients.