[00:00.100]From VOA Learning English,
[00:02.660]this is the Technology Report.
[00:05.600]The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that businesses cannot
[00:12.510]control the rights to human genes in their natural state.
[00:17.790]Patients' rights groups are calling the decision a victory.
[00:22.630]The court, however, left room to protect the patent ownership rights
[00:28.210]on some other important biotechnology applications.
[00:32.860]The court's decision was in a case involving
[00:36.400]the biotechnology company Myriad Genetics.
[00:40.630]The company had identified human genes
[00:44.430]that increase a woman's risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
[00:50.150]The company applied for and was given exclusive rights
[00:54.990]over the use of those genes.
[00:57.380]Attorney Sandra Park works with the American Civil Liberties Union.
[01:03.510]She says the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
[01:07.990]has been allowing patents on some DNA for 30 years.
[01:13.040]"What was problematic about these patents was that Myriad
[01:16.480]was able to use those patents to stop other laboratories
[01:19.470]from providing genetic testing,
[01:20.970]even when those other laboratories were using different methods."
[01:24.460]Miss Park says that means that genetic testing
[01:29.360]for increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer
[01:33.300]cost more because of the lack of competition.
[01:37.270]And she says the gene patent prevented patients
[01:41.800]from getting a second medical opinion based on some other test.
[01:46.970]But the Supreme Court has now rejected this type of patent,
[01:52.410]all nine justices agreed that because genes are products of nature,
[01:58.680]they can not be owned by one business.
[02:01.920]Lisbeth Ceriani helped bring the case against Myriad.
[02:07.700]She is a breast cancer survivor who struggled to pay for Myriad's test.
[02:13.570]"Our genes are not being held hostage by a private corporation anymore.
[02:16.860]We have the right to know that our doctor
[02:20.000]can look at our own genes to see what information is there."
[02:22.830]Health activists say the ruling will lower costs
[02:27.310]and improve testing for breast and ovarian cancer,
[02:31.690]and other conditions for which companies have gene patents.
[02:36.280]Myriad Genetics also created man made versions of the genes
[02:41.650]and patented those, too.
[02:44.060]These versions are called complimentary DNA or cDNA.
[02:49.980]For example, cDNA is used to make insulin to treat people with diabetes.
[02:57.210]The Supreme Court said patents on such man made genes
[03:03.090]are permitted because cDNA does not exist in nature.
[03:07.770]Jennifer Swize is a lawyer for Myriad Genetics.
[03:12.250]"To Myriad, the decision is a win. For all practical purposes,
[03:16.730]companies like Myriad use the cDNA claims to do their testing."
[03:22.200]Myriad's stock price grows after the Supreme Court gave its ruling on June, 13th,
[03:29.130]this suggested that investors saw the decision
[03:32.420]as a good one for the biotechology industry.
[03:36.170]And that's the Technology Report from VOA Learning English,
[03:41.090]written by Onka Dekker.