You Can't Own my Genes

Our genes belong to us, not to some company that has patented them. The US Supreme Court recently gave this judgment in a case involving Myriad Genetics that had patented the two genes involved in familial breast cancer. This is good news for health care consumers, even in India where genetic tests are not yet common. The ruling allows small companies to use genetic tests for wellness and drug responses, says Anu Acharya, CEO, MapMyGenome, a genomics company in Hyderabad. While the volume of cancer tests involving Myriad’s patent are small here, there are tests for which firms have not been reporting results that involve other gene patents. The concern that this may have a negative effect on therapeutic innovation is misplaced. The court has ruled that any modification in the naturally-occurring gene is patented. This is a win for all—patients, researchers and biomedical companies.