Michael Crichton (published 2007)
But forget the costs: why should people or companies own a disease in the first place? They didn’t invent it. Yet today, more than 20 human pathogens are privately owned, including haemophilus influenza and Hepatitis C. And we’ve already mentioned that tests for the BRCA genes for breast cancer cost $3,000. Oh, one more thing: if you undergo the test, the company that owns the patent on the gene can keep your tissue and do research on it without asking your permission. Don’t like it? Too bad.
VLA COMMENT: Today researchers have found that the “natural childhood diseases” such as measles, chickenpox protect against cancer. So they are genetically engineering the natural virus, patenting it and thereby owning it, as a means to cure some cancers. See more…