Who Is Getting Rich From Breast Cancer Research?

Who is getting rich from breast cancer research? The answer to that question will be ultimately decided by the Supreme Court. Did you know that two human genes associated with increased risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer have been patented? That means that any researcher or company wanting to research a cure or treatment regarding these human genes has to pay a fee?

I know thousands of us walked this past Saturday in the Susan G Komen race for the cure. I would like to think that our money will be spent on paying researchers and laboratories for continuing research and not padding the pockets of those who seek to profit at the expense of human lives.

This might be the one time that any of us have ever agreed with the ACLU. They are taking a challenge to the Supreme Court over this issue. The question that court will decide is whether or not human genes are products of nature and can not be copyrighted. Are our genes protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The suit, in case you are wondering is being filed against the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, the University of Utah Research Foundation and Myriad Genetics.