Kyle Hoellger
Oct 8, 2015
Featured

Australian Court Rules that BRCA1 Gene Cannot be Patented

Earlier this week, Australia's highest court ruled unanimously that Myriad Genetics cannot patent a version of the BRCA1 gene, which is linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The court based its ruling on the fact that, although an isolated gene such as BRCA1 was "a product of human action, it was the existence of the information stored in the relevant sequences that was an essential element of the invention as claimed." This ruling is consistent with the US Supreme Court's previous decision, and other countries around the world are likely to follow suit as a result of this announcement.