Medical research is ‘hindered by out-of-date laws’

System is inefficient and corrupt, say scientists Russell Jenkins and Mark Henderson Research into new medicines is being impaired by intellectual property laws that are no longer suited to modern science, two Nobel laureates declare today in a letter to The Times. Obstructive patents on genes and medical techniques can “impede innovation, lead to monopolisation, and unduly restrict access to the benefits of knowledge”, according to Professor Sir John Sulston and Professor Joseph Stiglitz. While the intellectual property system was developed to ensure inventors were rewarded while sharing their discoveries, it is increasingly being manipulated by industry to thwart rivals, block research or to direct it away from humanitarian goals towards those that maximise profits, the professors say. The commercial system that turns... [read full story]