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Stem Cell Patent Torpedoes Research

Posted by michael on from the paying-the-piper dept.

g8orade writes: "This story says the University of Winsconsin owns patents that may prevent anyone spending that federal money soon. "As they carry out President Bush's plan for government financing of embryonic stem cell studies, federal health officials confront a daunting challenge: U.S. patent 6,200,806, a claim to the human embryonic stem cell." Originally in the NYT, this is a link to the not free account-requiring Charlotte Observer."

2 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. I still don't get it by mac123 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I continue to call the "need" for federal funding.

    The stem cells that would be used are covered by a seemingly comprehensive patent by UW.

    Univ. of Wis. has given exclusive rights to Geron (a company).

    Geron will own anything done with these stem cells, including any "cures" that are discovered.

    Geron is (presumably) willing to invest money (and already has) in the research in order to make money from this.

    Why do we need federal funding of this? It seems like transferring taxpayer funds to the bottom line of hugebiotechcorp.com

    1. Re:I still don't get it by KahunaBurger · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Why do we need federal funding of this? It seems like transferring taxpayer funds to the bottom line of hugebiotechcorp.com



      And this is news to you why? OK, sarcasm aside, you know that the US pours money every single year into different kinds of research. And private foundations and individuals pour another few million into "aids research" or "cancer research" or other focused causes. Then government and publicly funded hospitals use their resources to help with drug trials. Have you ever wondered why you never hear a pharm company say "we've decided to release this drug from our patent early because of the huge government and public investment we made it with."?



      The patent likely won't effect which biotech company makes a mint off other peoples pain and says "but we paid all this research and development (with your tax dollors)". Stem cells exist, the patent is likely on a particular extraction or culturing method (sorry, don't have time to look for sure before work). But the fact that all this money would eventually lead to propriatory drugs and techniques being sold back to us as the fruits of our wonderful free market was a given from the start.



      And if /. is still around then we can listen to the libertarians tell us how any goverment interference in drug proffiteering would lead to no more investment and research like what gave us this wonderful stem cell work. Ugh.



      Kahuna Burger

      --
      ...will work for Chick tracts...