Supporters of open letter say Australia's Patent Amendment Bill misses the point

In the ongoing Australian debates regarding legislation to outlaw the patenting of human genes, which has been introduced into the federal parliament (The Pharma Letter February 24), an open letter with signatories including interested parties from industry and research, urging legislators to reject the Patent Amendment (Human Genes and Biological Materials) Bill 2010 as it misses the point on patient access and research exemption.

The letter says that, should the Bill become law, the signatories hold grave concerns about the unintended consequences on the access of Australians to life-changing medicines and diagnostics, on the ability of scientists to conduct medical research in this country and on the future of the Australian biotechnology and medicines industry. Instead of addressing community concerns about access to innovative medicines and diagnostic tests, the Bill puts at risk such potentially life-altering products being available in a timely manner to anyone in Australia.

The letter is signed by organizations representing research, science, patient and consumer groups, the legal community and investors, namely: AusBiotech, Medicines Australia, Research Australia, Foursight, Walter And Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI), IVD Australia, Osteoporosis Australia, the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies, IBMcom, The Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA) and GBS Venture Partners.