June 13, 2018 marks the 5th anniversary of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling to overturn one company’s patent on the human BRCA 1 and 2 genes! We’re celebrating this important win with a webinar featuring two women who propelled this historic case to victory!
Learn about the landmark case overturning Myriad Genetics’ patents on what are popularly known as the “breast cancer genes,” which are linked to increased cancer risk in some families. And find out what’s happened in the five years since the Supreme Court overturned the company’s monopoly on BRCA genetic testing risk.
Our featured speakers are ACLU staff attorney Sandra Park, JD, one of the lead attorneys in the case, and Tania Simoncelli, MS, director of policy for science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, who heralded the original case as the ACLU’s Science Advisor. They’ll discuss their work together on the landmark case and the ongoing issues related to gene patents and genetic testing.
In 2009, Breast Cancer Action was proud to join the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as a plaintiff on the case against Myriad Genetics, making us the only breast cancer organization to do so. On June 13, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled in our favor and struck down Myriad Genetics’ patents, ruling that all naturally occurring genes are not patentable.
This webinar covers what’s happened in the five years since the historic ruling, plus the current issues related to data biobanks, direct to consumer genetic testing, patients’ rights to genetic data, and more.