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Image header Agence Europe
Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8742
Contents Publication in full By article 38 / 51
GENERAL NEWS / (eu) eu/patents

European Patent Office reviews 1992 GM mouse patent

Brussels, 06/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Patent Office (EPO) is continuing to review patents occasionally granted to bio-technological inventions without really looking into all the consequences. In Munich on Monday, it began the examination of a complaint filed against the patent granted in 1992 by the EPO to Harvard University for a genetically modified mouse. Another patent which was challenged was revoked on 18 May, further to opposition which went on for two and a half years. This patent, which was granted by the EPO to the American company Myriad Genetics on 10 January 2001, was criticised by genetic engineers, oncologists and many MEPs. It gave the American company a monopoly on tests to determine genetic predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer, based on studies of a specific gene.

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