Diagnostic Kits/SACGHS Gene Patents and Licensing Practices
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Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and SocietyâPublic Consultation Draft Report on Gene Patents and Licensing Practices and Their Impact on Patient Access to Genetic Tests (Draft Report for Public Comment) [excerpts]. Biotechnology Law Report, 28(3), 417-442 (2009).
Concerns:
- Change in laboratory research due to actual or anticipated patent or license enforcement.
- The inability to "invent around" the a genetic patent to create an equivalent, but non-infringing test
- Potential for "hold-out" issues
- The ability of technology owners to charge unfair or disproportional fees despite owners inability to fully implement the test.
- Exclusive licenses affect on method validation and proficiency testing by peers
- The need for multiple patents and multiple licensing agreements with different patent holders leading to complexities that act as a barrier to product development.
Case Studies
- testing for Canavan's disease
- testing for BRCA1/2 for breast cancer