News 360<sup></sup> - Briefs
patent
Human genes create stir in US
About 100,000 cancer patients, doctors, researchers and lawyers sued the US government for granting patents for two human genes. They said the patents deny women with breast and ovarian cancer the benefit of new tests and possible treatment. A company or an institution that owns patents for genes has specific rights to their use, which may include diagnostic tests based on those genes, as well as future mutations that are discovered. In 1994, the US Patent and Trademark Office (pto) granted rights for the two human genes