Appeals Court Upholds Companies' Right to Patent Genes, But the Future of Gene Research Remains Unclear
Two of the three judges are also scientists In a victory for biotechnology companies, a federal appeals court ruled Friday that human genes can be patented. Odds are pretty good the case will make its way to the Supreme Court, and it's possible the justices will rule the other way, so this is not a done deal - but until then, it seems companies can own the exclusive right to use human genes. The case involved patents on two human genes that are used to predict breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2. To study these genes, patients and scientists will again have to pay a fee - up to $3,000 - to the company that owns the patent, Myriad Genetics. Related ArticlesUS District Court Says No To Patenting Human Genes Lawsuit Banning Human Gene Patents Continues, Court RulesTo Protect Patented Genes, DARPA Wants a Security System that Records Genomic ChangesTagsScience, Rebecca Boyle, breast...