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British Columbia Bows To Breast Cancer Patent

Posted by Hemos on from the bow-down-before-the-one-you-serve dept.

dlek writes "Bowing to pressure from Utah's Myriad Genetics, the government of British Columbia has stopped offering a test for hereditary breast cancer. The price of the test, which looks at two genes responsible for the cancer, has tripled to $3500US. Our public health care system can't afford to pay so we're sending people to Ontario, which is ignoring the patent. People are disappointed we're not doing the same... previous Slashdot mentions are on their original claim and on the Curie Institute's challenge to the patent."

3 of 446 comments (clear)

  1. Previous Art, Anyone? by theBraindonor · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wouldn't the fact that women's cells have been duplicating those genes for thousands of years count as previous art?

    Aparently not...

    1. Re:Previous Art, Anyone? by antitribue · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wouldn't the fact that women's cells have been duplicating those genes for thousands of years count as previous art?

      I am not sure I can answer that without first looking at, and maybe touching the previous art!

  2. Re:You can bet... by the+way,+what're+you · · Score: 5, Funny
    If this were testicular cancer screening, it would be covered...

    So essentially you're saying there is a vas deferens between the way male and female patients are treated? That's just nuts.

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