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The McGill Journal of Law and Health () is hosting a panel discussion on patenting genetic materials. The event will be open to the public.

The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), a leader in genetic research, believes that patients have a right to know whether they have genetic disorders. They believe that patents on human genes pose a significant obstacle for diagnosing and caring for patients so they have filed a test case in order to change the Canadian approach to gene patenting.

Panelists

Professor Richard Gold is the founding Director of the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and is leading the team of experts advising the court in the CHEO test case. Dr. Julie Richer is the first author on the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists’ patent position statement, and a physician at CHEO.

They will discuss the practical and ethical considerations involved in genetic patenting, specifically in context of the CHEO case.