publicdata/nih-gov
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull requests Projects Releases Packages Wiki Activity Actions
nih-gov/medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/genepatents/index.html
Scott Williams 7bcb500d37 Initial commit.
2025-02-26 13:17:41 -05:00

483 lines
28 KiB
HTML
Raw Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters

This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" id="understanding_genetics" class="nojs us" data-root="https://medlineplus.gov/">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1" />
<meta http-equiv="window-target" content="_top" />
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
<link rel="canonical" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/genepatents/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/genepatents/" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/genetica/entender/pruebas/patentesdegenes/" />
<meta name="ac-dictionary" content="medlineplus-ac-dictionary" />
<meta name="description" content="In 2013 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that human genes cannot be patented in the U.S. Learn more about gene patents and exceptions." />
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://medlineplus.gov/images/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" />
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://medlineplus.gov/images/touch-icon.png" />
<meta property="fb:app_id" content="1042245625821448" />
<meta property="og:title" content="Can genes be patented?: MedlinePlus Genetics" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/genepatents/" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/GeneticTesting_Share.jpg" />
<meta property="og:description" content="In 2013 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that human genes cannot be patented in the U.S. Learn more about gene patents and exceptions." />
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:site" content="@medlineplus" />
<meta name="twitter:creator" content="@medlineplus" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Can genes be patented?: MedlinePlus Genetics" />
<meta name="twitter:description" content="In 2013 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that human genes cannot be patented in the U.S. Learn more about gene patents and exceptions." />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/GeneticTesting_Share.jpg" />
<meta name="twitter:image:alt" content=""/>
<meta property="og:image:alt" content="" />
<title>Can genes be patented?: MedlinePlus Genetics</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/css/common_new.css?1738957195946" />
<!--[if IE 8]> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/css/ie8/common.css"> <![endif]-->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/css/uswds_styles.css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/utilities/lostatic.css">
<script type="text/javascript">document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].className = document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].className.replace( /(?:^|\s)nojs(?!\S)/g , '').trim();</script>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/js/uswds-init.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':
new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],
j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src=
'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);
})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-MMVM77');</script>
</head>
<body>
<noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-MMVM77"
height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden" title="googletagmanager"></iframe></noscript>
<a name="top" id="top"></a>
<a class="hide-offscreen" href="#start">Skip navigation</a>
<section
class="usa-banner"
aria-label="Official website of the United States government"
>
<div class="usa-accordion">
<header class="usa-banner__header">
<div class="usa-banner__inner">
<div class="grid-col-auto">
<img
aria-hidden="true"
class="usa-banner__header-flag"
src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/us_flag_small.png"
alt=""
/>
</div>
<div class="grid-col-fill tablet:grid-col-auto" aria-hidden="true">
<p class="usa-banner__header-text">
An official website of the United States government
</p>
<p class="usa-banner__header-action">Here’s how you know</p>
</div>
<button
type="button"
class="usa-accordion__button usa-banner__button"
aria-expanded="false"
aria-controls="gov-banner-default-default"
>
<span class="usa-banner__button-text">Here’s how you know</span>
</button>
</div>
</header>
<div
class="usa-banner__content usa-accordion__content"
id="gov-banner-default-default"
>
<div class="grid-row grid-gap-lg">
<div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6">
<img
class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img"
src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/icon-dot-gov.svg"
role="img"
alt=""
aria-hidden="true"
/>
<div class="usa-media-block__body">
<p>
<strong>Official websites use .gov</strong><br />A
<strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government
organization in the United States.
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6">
<img
class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img"
src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/icon-https.svg"
role="img"
alt=""
aria-hidden="true"
/>
<div class="usa-media-block__body">
<p>
<strong>Secure .gov websites use HTTPS</strong><br />A
<strong>lock</strong> (
<span class="icon-lock"
><svg
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
width="52"
height="64"
viewBox="0 0 52 64"
class="usa-banner__lock-image"
role="img"
aria-labelledby="banner-lock-description-default"
focusable="false"
>
<title id="banner-lock-title-default">Lock</title>
<desc id="banner-lock-description-default">Locked padlock icon</desc>
<path
fill="#000000"
fill-rule="evenodd"
d="M26 0c10.493 0 19 8.507 19 19v9h3a4 4 0 0 1 4 4v28a4 4 0 0 1-4 4H4a4 4 0 0 1-4-4V32a4 4 0 0 1 4-4h3v-9C7 8.507 15.507 0 26 0zm0 8c-5.979 0-10.843 4.77-10.996 10.712L15 19v9h22v-9c0-6.075-4.925-11-11-11z"
/>
</svg> </span
>) or <strong>https://</strong> means you’ve safely connected to
the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official,
secure websites.
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>
<div id="mplus-wrap">
<header>
<div id="mplus-header">
<div id="mplus-orgs">
<a href="https://www.nih.gov/" class="nih-org" target="_blank" title="National Institutes of Health">
<img class="nihlogo" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nihlogo.png" alt="National Institutes of Health"/>
</a><a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/" target="_blank"> National Library of Medicine</a>
</div>
<div id="mplus-logo" class="years-25">
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/">
<img alt="MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You" title="MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/m_logo_25.png"/>
</a>
</div>
<div id="mplus-nav">
<div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div>
<button id="sm-menu-btn" class="navmenu-btn" title="Menu" role="button" aria-controls="mplus-menu-list" type="submit">Menu<span class="icon icon-nav-menu"></span></button>
<ul id="mplus-menu-list" class="nav-list">
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html">Health Topics</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html">Drugs & Supplements</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/">Genetics</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/">Medical Tests</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html">Medical Encyclopedia</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/">About MedlinePlus</a></li>
</ul><button id="sm-search-btn" class="navmenu-btn" title="Search" role="button" aria-controls="mplus-search" type="submit"><span class="hide-offscreen"></span>Search<span class="icon icon-nav-search"></span></button>
<div class="top-1">
<form id="mplus-search" method="get" action="https://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta" title="Search MedlinePlus" target="_self">
<input type="hidden" name="v:project" value="medlineplus"/>
<input type="hidden" name="v:sources" value="medlineplus-bundle"/>
<div class="form-box text-combo">
<div class="form-area"><label class="hide-offscreen" for="searchtext_primary">Search MedlinePlus</label>
<input id="searchtext_primary" class="form-text" type="text" placeholder="Search MedlinePlus" alt="#Site Search input" title="Site Search input" maxlength="400" size="40" name="query" autocomplete="off" role="textbox" aria-autocomplete="list" aria-haspopup="true"/>
</div>
<div class="button-area">
<button class="form-btn" title="Search MedlinePlus" alt="Search MedlinePlus" type="submit">GO</button>
</div>
</div>
</form>
<div class="secondarynav">
<ul class="nav-list">
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/"><span>About MedlinePlus</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/">What's New</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html"><span>Site Map</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&category=medlineplus&from=https%3A//medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/genepatents/" target="_blank"><span>Customer Support</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="mplus-nav-bar">
<ul class="nav-list">
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html">Health Topics</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html">Drugs & Supplements</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/">Genetics</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/">Medical Tests</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html">Medical Encyclopedia</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<a id="mplus-lang-toggle" href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/genetica/entender/pruebas/patentesdegenes/" title="Español">Español</a>
</div>
</div>
</header>
<div id="mplus-content">
<div id="breadcrumbs">
<div itemprop="breadcrumb" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/BreadcrumbList">
<span class="hide-offscreen">You Are Here:</span>
<div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem">
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Home</span></a>
&rarr;
<meta itemprop="position" content="1"/>
</div>
<div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem">
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Genetics</span></a>
&rarr;
<meta itemprop="position" content="2"/>
</div>
<div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem">
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Help Me Understand Genetics</span></a>
&rarr;
<meta itemprop="position" content="3"/>
</div>
<div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem">
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Genetic Testing</span></a>
&rarr;
<meta itemprop="position" content="4"/>
</div>
<div>
<span>Can genes be patented?</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<span class="page-url print-only">URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/genepatents/</span>
<div >
<article>
<div class="page-info">
<div class="page-title">
<a name="start" id="start"></a>
<h1>Can genes be patented?</h1>
</div>
<div class="page-actions"></div>
<noscript><span class="js-disabled-message">To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript.</span></noscript>
</div>
<div class="main">
<section><div class="mp-content"><p>A gene patent is the exclusive rights to a specific sequence of DNA (a gene) given by a government to the individual, organization, or corporation who claims to have first identified the gene. Once granted a gene patent, the holder of the patent dictates how the gene can be used, in both commercial settings, such as clinical genetic testing, and in noncommercial settings, including research, for 20 years from the date of the patent. Gene patents have often resulted in companies having sole ownership of genetic testing for patented genes.</p>
<p>On June 13, 2013, in the case of the Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that human genes cannot be patented in the U.S. because DNA is a "product of nature." The Court decided that because nothing new is created when discovering a gene, there is no intellectual property to protect, so patents cannot be granted. Prior to this ruling, more than 4,300 human genes were patented. The Supreme Court's decision invalidated those gene patents, making the genes accessible for research and for commercial genetic testing.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court's ruling did allow that DNA manipulated in a lab is eligible to be patented because DNA sequences altered by humans are not found in nature. The Court specifically mentioned the ability to patent a type of DNA known as complementary DNA (cDNA). This synthetic DNA is produced from the molecule that serves as the instructions for <a data-pid="20147" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/howgeneswork/makingprotein/">making proteins</a> (called messenger RNA).</p></div>
</section>
</div>
<div class="side">
<aside>
<section><div class="side-section"><div class="mp-content"><div class="section-header long-header">
<h2>For more information about gene patenting and the Supreme Court ruling:</h2>
</div>
<div class="section-body">
<p>Read about the <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/association-for-molecular-pathology-v-myriad-genetics-inc/" target="_blank">Supreme Court case</a> and ruling against gene patenting.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/statements/statement-nih-director-francis-collins-us-supreme-court-ruling-gene-patenting" target="_blank">National Institutes of Health</a><span class="desc-text"><img alt="From the National Institutes of Health" class="imgdesc" height="16" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" title="From the National Institutes of Health" width="25"/></span>, the <a href="https://www.acmg.net/docs/GenePatientsDecision.pdf" target="_blank">American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics</a>, and the <a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/precision-medicine/gene-patenting" target="_blank">American Medical Association</a> voice their support for the Supreme Court's ruling on gene patents.</p>
<p>The National Human Genome Research Institute discusses the relationship between <a href="https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Intellectual-Property" target="_blank">Intellectual Property and Genomics.<span class="desc-text"><img alt="From the National Institutes of Health" class="imgdesc" height="16" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" title="From the National Institutes of Health" width="25"/></span></a>
</p>
</div></div>
</div></section>
</aside>
</div>
<div class="bottom">
<section><div class="mp-exp mp-content"><h2>Topics in the Genetic Testing chapter</h2>
<ul><li><a data-pid="20219" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/genetictesting/">What is genetic testing?</a></li><li><a data-pid="31121" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/types/">What are the different types of genetic tests?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20221" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/uses/">What are the uses of genetic testing?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20223" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/procedure/">How is genetic testing done?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20225" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/informedconsent/">What is informed consent?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20227" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/validtest/">How can I be sure a genetic test is valid and useful?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20229" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/interpretingresults/">What do the results of genetic tests mean?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20231" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/costresults/">What is the cost of genetic testing, and how long does it take to get the results?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20233" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/insurancecoverage/">Will health insurance cover the costs of genetic testing?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20235" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/benefits/">What are the benefits of genetic testing?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20237" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/riskslimitations/">What are the risks and limitations of genetic testing?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20239" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/discrimination/">What is genetic discrimination?</a></li><li>Can genes be patented?</li><li><a data-pid="31501" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/differenttests/">How are genetic screening tests different from genetic diagnostic tests?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20243" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/researchtesting/">How does genetic testing in a research setting differ from clinical genetic testing?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20245" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/sequencing/">What are whole exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20247" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/secondaryfindings/">What are secondary findings from genetic testing?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20249" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/nipt/">What is noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and what disorders can it screen for?</a></li><li><a data-pid="20251" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/circulatingtumordna/">What is circulating tumor DNA and how is it used to diagnose and manage cancer?</a></li></ul>
<p><a data-pid="20081" href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/">Other chapters in Help Me Understand Genetics</a></p></div>
</section>
<section>
<!--
<div class="from-ghr">
<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/fromGHR.png" alt="From Genetics Home Reference" />
<p>Genetics Home Reference has merged with MedlinePlus. Genetics Home Reference content now can be found in the "Genetics" section of MedlinePlus. <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/general/genetics/newhome/">Learn more</a></p>
</div>
-->
<p>The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.</p>
</section>
</div>
</article>
</div>
<div id="citation-how-to">
<button><span>Learn how to cite this page</span></button>
</div>
</div>
<footer>
<div id="mplus-footer">
<div class="footer1">
<ul class="secondarynav">
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/">About MedlinePlus</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/">What's New</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html">Site Map</a></li>
<li><a href="https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&category=medlineplus&from=https%3A//medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/testing/genepatents/" target="_blank"><span>Customer Support</span></a></li>
</ul>
<ul class="follow-footer">
<li>
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/rss.html" class="follow-item">Subscribe to RSS<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/feed.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="RSS" title="RSS"></a>
</li>
<li>
<span class="follow-label">Follow us</span>
<a href="https://twitter.com/medlineplus" class="follow-item" target="_blank">
<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_twitter.png" class="follow-icon" alt="X" title="X">
</a>
<a href="https://facebook.com/Mplus.gov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank">
<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_fb.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Facebook" title="Facebook">
</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mplusgov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank">
<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/Instagram_Glyph_Gradient_RGB.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Instagram" title="Instagram">
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/social-media-toolkit/" class="social-media-toolkit-item">Social Media Toolkit<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_social_media_toolkit.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="Social Media Toolkit" title="Social Media Toolkit"></a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="footer2">
<ul>
<li><a href=" https://www.nlm.nih.gov/web_policies.html" target='_blank'>NLM Web Policies</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/usingcontent/" >Copyright</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/accessibility.html">Accessibility</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/criteria/">Guidelines for Links</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/plugins.html">Viewers & Players</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html" target="_blank">HHS Vulnerability Disclosure</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/medlineplus-connect/">MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs</a></li>
<li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/developers/">For Developers</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="address">
<a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Library of Medicine</a>
<span>8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894</span>
<a href="https://www.hhs.gov" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a>
<a href="https://www.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Institutes of Health</a>
</div>
<div class="date">
<span id="lastupdate">Last updated July 28, 2021</span>
</div>
<div class="return-top"><a href="#top" title="Return to top"><img class="return-top-icon" alt="Return to top" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/return-top.png"></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</footer>
</div>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/jquery-3.6.0.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-frontend-controls-new.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-share.js?id=1112022" type="text/javascript"></script>
<!--[if lte IE 9]><script src="//www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/jslib/jquery.placeholder.js" type="text/javascript"></script><![endif]-->
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/control.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/js/uswds.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</body>
</html>
Reference in a new issue View git blame Copy permalink