ACLU v. Myriad Genetics, Round 2: The Problem of Governance-by-Guidance

ACLU v. Myriad Genetics, Round 2: The Problem of Governance-by-Guidance

Posted by John Conley on June 9, 2016

  

Just about everyone interested enough in genomics and the law to read this post will know that the American Civil Liberties Union waged a long and ultimately successful legal campaign to invalidate Myriad Genetics’ patent claims to isolated BRCA genes, mutations of which are linked to breast and ovarian cancer. Now the ACLU has launched a second front, this time attacking Myriad’s post-patent business model of maintaining its vast and unique database of genotype-phenotype associations as a trade secret. GLR reported on that evolving strategy two years ago.