tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255808252082956251.post7977482674249431174..comments2024-02-16T01:48:30.016-08:00Comments on mathbionerd: My breasts. My genes.mathbionerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17525536407206138695noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255808252082956251.post-65288681102543512612013-05-18T08:59:17.903-07:002013-05-18T08:59:17.903-07:00Thanks for the post, informative even to a lay per...Thanks for the post, informative even to a lay person. I think this test would be a great candidate for compulsory licenses abroad.<br /><br />Under certain conditions, WTO rules allow governments to issue compulsory licenses against patent holders. To my knowledge it hasn't been invoked recently, but typically, when a government can demonstrate excessive profits and/or there is an epidemic or public health emergency, it can legally break patents.Ching Changhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04875739486435432024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255808252082956251.post-22429950359570388162013-05-17T20:13:02.735-07:002013-05-17T20:13:02.735-07:00Anonymous, there is a good discussion of costs at ...Anonymous, there is a good discussion of costs <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2013/05/angelina-jolie-myriad-genetics-and-patents-on-genetic-tests/#disqus_thread" rel="nofollow">at Razib's blog</a>. These genes are unusually long, and takes about 100 PCR reactions for a basic test. And the price of sequencing tests isn't affected by patents, as shown by studies.<br /><br />The British NHS vs. capitalism is an interesting case study. In the UK, the tests are harshly rationed, and they are still in low tens thousands. In the US, it's a million women tested. Also it takes months to get a test result in the UK, but only days in the US, which makes a lot of difference for the women freshly Dx'd and waiting for surgery!MOCKBAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05150628026789690963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255808252082956251.post-41461761688451052452013-05-16T10:31:53.391-07:002013-05-16T10:31:53.391-07:00Well, it's called capitalism.
That's why w...Well, it's called capitalism.<br />That's why we are so f*cked up right now in terms of technology.<br />As long as the greed for profit rules over the seek for human evolution and social advancements, we have to deal with this type of crap.Nahuelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255808252082956251.post-4080322022565354182013-05-16T08:23:08.474-07:002013-05-16T08:23:08.474-07:00I know! It doesn't make any sense at all.
I a...I know! It doesn't make any sense at all.<br /><br />I agree that it gets murky if someone synthesizes a totally new gene. I can understand owning a patent on that newly synthesized gene sequence, but then, what if it becomes part of a GMO that is wildly successful, and then that synthesized gene becomes incorporated into natural populations. Should the company prevent researchers for knowing what that sequence is? <br /><br />Yes, the cost is outrageous. mathbionerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17525536407206138695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255808252082956251.post-87165862353142843232013-05-16T07:22:28.200-07:002013-05-16T07:22:28.200-07:00I was thinking exactly this the other day. Well, n...I was thinking exactly this the other day. Well, not about this particular gene(s), but how and why are can anybody have a patent on genes... that just does not make sense. The only way I see it possible is to built one from scratch... and I mean not even similar to anything that already exist in nature...<br /><br />I can not believe this test is 3000... I do PCR's daily for a small fraction of this cost. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com