Opponents of patenting human DNA say a ruling in favor of Myriad will mean companies can own your genes, even though experts say it’s more complicated than that. The patents set off a cascade of effects, opponents argue: it gives the company a monopoly on the test that can identify whether patients have the BRCA mutations so other companies can’t offer their own tests as a second opinion. There’s also no one to compete with the Myriad’s $3,000 price tag on the test.
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Myriad has long argued that it’s not patenting anyone’s genes. Instead, the company says, it separates them from the rest of the DNA and creates lab-made copies — and that’s what is patented and used in the test. The company has also licensed a few medical centers to run second-opinion tests.
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