Gene Patent Inquiry holds Public Hearings
The Senate Inquiry into Gene Patents continued last week, with public hearings in Melbourne and Sydney.
The inquiry is examining the impact of the granting of patents in Australia over human and microbial genes and non-coding sequences, proteins, and their derivatives, including those materials in an isolated form.
(a) the impact which the granting of patent monopolies over such materials has had, is having, and may have had on:
(i) the provision and costs of healthcare,
(ii) the provision of training and accreditation for healthcare professionals,
(iii) the progress in medical research, and
(iv) the health and wellbeing of the Australian people;
(b) identifying measures that would ameliorate any adverse impacts arising from the granting of patents over such materials, including whether the Patents Act 1990 should be amended, in light of the any matters identified by the inquiry; and
(c) whether the Patents Act 1990 should be amended so as to expressly prohibit the grant of patent monopolies over such materials.
The transcripts of the hearings can be found here.