Court Rejects Patents on Human Genes

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Contacto:
Eric Hoffman, 443-465-2219
Nick Berning, 703-587-4454
 
Tribunal Federal rechaza patentes de genes humanos, Amigos de la Tierra pide al Congreso que el fallo sea permanente
 
WASHINGTON, DC.—The U.S. District Court of New York held yesterday in Asociación de Patología Molecular, et al. contra Oficina de Patentes y Marcas de EE. UU., et al. that patents on human genes that correlate with increased risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer are invalid because genes and DNA sequences are naturally occurring.
 
Friends of the Earth, which has long fought gene patenting, praised the ruling and called on members of Congress to respond by passing the Genomic Research and Accessibility Act, which would codify the court’s decision in legislation.
 
Eric Hoffman, Genetic Technology Policy Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said:
 
“This ruling is a huge victory for women who will no longer have to pay exorbitant fees for cancer screening, and it is a victory for the effort to stop the patenting of life at all levels. Judge Sweet’s decision in this case draws a clear line that all genes and DNA sequences are naturally occurring and therefore outside the scope of patentability. This ruling will help countless people receive medical tests without having to pay exorbitant prices to private corporations that seek to patent genes they did not invent.
 
“The defendants will likely appeal this case all the way to the Supreme Court. That is one reason it is incumbent upon Congress to pass the Genomic Research and Accessibility Act. All genes and DNA sequences, whether they are isolated or remain in the body, should forever stay in the public domain. We should never again allow private firms to own naturally occurring genes and DNA sequences at the expense of public health.”
 
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Amigos de la Tierra es la voz estadounidense de la mayor red ambientalista de base del mundo, con grupos miembros en 77 países. Desde 1969, Amigos de la Tierra lucha por crear un mundo más sano y justo.