U.S. Supreme Court bars human gene patents

In a unanimous ruling today, the United States Supreme Court struck down a process that has existed for over 30 years—patenting human genes. Patents are intended to prevent rivals from using or copying a unique process or invention, which the court ruled only applies to synthetic materials.
The genes in question, BRCA1 and BRCA2, are connected to hereditary ovarian and breast cancer, and were patented by Salt Lake City company Myriad Genetics Inc. Myriad developed a cancer probability test based on the 2 genes and, with the patents, held a monopoly on the testing market according to Reuters.com.
This led to the $3,000 price tag which makes the test unavailable to many, AP.com reports. That price is now expected to decrease, particularly as competitive tests are developed, although Myriad’s test is still patented, as are any synthetic types of DNA known as complementary DNA, or cDNA, they might develop.
A group of doctors, scientists, associations, and patients known as the Association for Molecular Pathology filed suit, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ruling was suggested by the Obama administration, and the issue was put to the public eye when Hollywood star Angelina Jolie (see picture above) published an article on her decision to get a double mastectomy, writes the NYTimes.com.
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