THE RACE TO BUY LIFE

Over half a million patents on genetic code are pending or granted

Patents on over 500,000 whole or partial genes from living organisms are
pending or have already been granted, according to new research.

Applications in the last month alone sought patents for another 34,000
segments of the human genetic code, says Sue Mayer of GeneWatch UK,
the group that carried out the research for the UK's Guardian newspaper.

"What's striking is the speed and scale at which patent applications are being
made," she told the paper. "Unless the rules are changed, in a few years'
time we will find very basic knowledge and information has been privatised."

Patents on 161,195 human genes or gene sequences have now been filed.
These genes cover virtually every tissue in the body, for example lung
tissue and a light-sensitive pigment in the eye.

The French company Genset has applied for patents on 36,083 human gene
sequences. Its applications account for 28.5 per cent of all human gene patents
filed - more than any other company. Private US biotech companies are the
next five most prolific human gene patenters, with the US Department of
Health in at number seven.

Invest for success

Biotech and pharmaceutical companies claim that unless they patent genes,
they can't invest the vast sums of money that are necessary to develop
medical tests and treatments based on those sequences.

But other researchers will have to pay hefty fees to work on patented genes,
and this may delay or even prevent the development of new treatments, claim
gene patenting opponents.

Opponents also criticise institutions for patenting genes without giving any
indication of what research on those genes will be used for. And they claim
that genes are discoveries not "inventions", and so should not be covered by
patent law.

The new research also revealed that groups have applied for:
* 152 patents on rice
* 21 patents covering 72 HIV genes
* 1,331 patents on mice
* 501 patents on chickens
* 11 patents on spiders

Correspondence about this story should be directed to latestnews@newscientist.com

1245 GMT, 15 November 2000
Emma Young
New Scientist Online News