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Gene Patents No More? Deciphering The Meaning Of Prometheus, Fazal Khan, Lindsay Kessler
Gene Patents No More? Deciphering The Meaning Of Prometheus, Fazal Khan, Lindsay Kessler
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When Congress enacted the United States Patent Act in 1952, it specified that patentable subject matter included anything “under the sun that is made by man.” Three decades ago the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the first gene patent and ushered in a brave new gold rush. Some genes are associated with specific diseases, so being able to identify these sequences is an essential first step for developing genomic diagnostic tests and therapies. The problem with gene patents is that they allow modern-day prospectors to cordon off access to naturally occurring DNA sequences and exclude others from …