Bridging the gap between bioethics and patent law

PatentsinHumans is a five-year interdisciplinary project funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting grant led by Professor Aisling McMahon, School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University.

This project aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the bioethical issues posed by patents, and how such patents are used, over technologies related to the human body. It will interrogate to what extent such bioethical issues are considered, if at all, within European patent decision-making for these technologies. Ultimately, the project aims to reimagine European patent decision-making to further embed bioethical considerations in patent grant and licensing systems for such technologies.

The five main types of patentable technologies related to the human body which will be examined during this project include:

Patentable technologies which treat the body

e.g. medicines, elements of vaccines etc

Patentable technologies which act on the body

e.g. elements of diagnostic tests

Patentable technologies that are in the body

e.g. isolated human genes

Patentable technologies that can be integrated with the body

e.g. elements of medical devices, prosthetics etc.

Patentable technologies that are akin to the human body or which can modify the body

e.g. neuro-technologies, gene editing techniques etc.

To learn more about the PatentsInHumans Project, please watch this short video from Principal Investigator, Professor Aisling McMahon.

Follow us on Twitter

PatentsInHumans Follow

An ERC funded project @MaynoothUni investigating the role of bioethics in patent decision-making for technologies related to the human body. PI @aislingmmcmahon

Avatar
Retweet on Twitter PatentsInHumans Retweeted
Avatar Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) @nuffbioethics ·
27 Nov

We have published proposals to bolster governance of research using stem cell-based embryo models, including legislation to ensure that research doesn't cross ethical red lines.

Read our news story:🔗https://bit.ly/SCBEMnews

#science #embryomodels #stemcells #makingethicsmatter

Reply on Twitter 1861697935991345354 Retweet on Twitter 1861697935991345354 7 Like on Twitter 1861697935991345354 9 Twitter 1861697935991345354
Retweet on Twitter PatentsInHumans Retweeted
Avatar MU School of Law & Criminology @maynoothlaw ·
22 Nov

. #maynoothlaw are delighted to congratulate @AislingMMcMahon , @NiGhrainne & @iancriminology who each received an award in recognition of their Research Achievement.

Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/4mjksufh

Reply on Twitter 1859991564044656842 Retweet on Twitter 1859991564044656842 5 Like on Twitter 1859991564044656842 15 Twitter 1859991564044656842
Retweet on Twitter PatentsInHumans Retweeted
Avatar Emma Cave @profemmacave ·
20 Nov

Important blog post here from the excellent @AislingMMcMahon on patenting of stem cell based embryo models. Thanks for writing it Aisling! #SCBEM #patents @DurhamCELLS @Nuffbioethics

Reply on Twitter 1859264309483995548 Retweet on Twitter 1859264309483995548 1 Like on Twitter 1859264309483995548 5 Twitter 1859264309483995548
Load More

Latest News: