HeLa cells massively helped in the creation of the Polio
Vaccine. Jonas Salk, who engineered the vaccine, didn’t opt to patent the
life-saving breakthrough. This allowed generic versions to be developed and be
more widely distributed to almost all of the afflicted. When it comes to life
saving medicine, where should the line be drawn on what people should be able to
patent? Should patients be able to patent their tissues? Should scientists be
able to patent cures?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think patients and researchers should still be able to patent their tissues and discoveries because it is an incentive for private companies and individuals. Even though I don't agree that this is best for society overall, I think that people should still have the right to have ownership of their work.
ReplyDeleteOne way to solve the problem of people patenting their discoveries and making any new cures or findings too expensive for the public to purchase is for the government to get involved. With more government spending on medical research, any new discoveries would be put in the public domain and more accessible for the public.
I agree in general, but interestingly, as the human genome project uncovered gene sequences, there was no protection to keep people from patenting the sequences, even though government money was paying for the project.
DeleteEmma Lasky
ReplyDeleteI believe it is important that people are allowed to do as they want with patenting. Patients and the researchers should be allowed to patent what they want because they discovered it. Therefore, it is their own property and they should be allowed to do whatever they want with it. People should be allowed to do as they please with what they own, especially after hard work. Scientists should be able to patent cures as long as they are willing to share them for the greater good of society and the health of society.
But is it different if the researchers are patenting genes, as opposed to drugs?
DeleteAndrew Kaminsky
ReplyDeleteI think that it should be up to the person/scientist as to whether if they want to patent what they found. If they don't want to they don't have to. But if they want to patent it, then they should have every right and ability to do so. I completely agree with what Emma it is their "property" so they can do what they want with it. Scientists are very important people and they do very important things. The things that they create and discover shouldn't be able to be tweaked or messed with for somebody else's fame or credit.
I agree, and think that researchers should definitely have the right to patent what is theirs or what they discovered and patients should be able to patent their tissues. However, if patenting these discoveries would lead to less accessibly and benefits for society and the public, then I would think that they should not have full ownership, even though they might deserve it after the hard work they put in. I agree with Gabe and think that it would be a good idea to get the government involved, just to make sure that there is overall good for the public.
ReplyDeleteI think that people should be recognized for their accomplishments and it their own creation. However, if they do patent it there should be restrictions. Meaning if it is a cure for a disease it should be made available to everyone with that disease and people should not be denied a cure because they cannot afford it. I think scientists should be recognized for their discoveries, and they can be allowed to patent but there should be regulations that ensure people are receiving the best treatment possible for their disease. As for patient’s tissues, they are the property of the patient. Henrietta’s cells have allowed scientists to make major advances on the medical field which has helped make cures/ treatments for many diseases. Without Henrietta’s cells the medical field would not be the same as it is today, but the doctor’s have no right to take them without her permission and her family being compensated.
ReplyDelete