Patents and intellectual property are unquestionably essential parts of current commercial activities.  But, according to British Scientist Sir John Sulston, when the discussion reaches the realm of Science, commercial value should not be the only consideration. Sir John, who shared the 2002 Nobel Prize for Medicine visited São Paulo for a day on his way back home after a week in Argentina, and gave a lecture at the Brazilian British Centre on ethics and IP in the field of genomic research.

“I am not against patents, I’m against patent abuse”, emphasised the researcher during the event, held on 24 June.  “Science cannot be held hostage to the economic interests of big pharmaceutical companies.  Profit leads to some cures, but certainly not to all of them.”  A consequence of this pursuit of profit is that medical research & development is mainly restricted to diseases of the developed world – where people can afford to pay for treatment – while neglecting those that affect developing countries.  Thus, 90% of the world’s disease burden receives 10% of research funds.  

Sir John’s main argument is that IP and patents should be limited to inventions, and not be applicable to natural resources, which belong to humankind.  He took up this fight as the leader of British participation in the Human Genome Project, an international consortium of research labs that sequenced human DNA.  The project ended in 2003 and the UK was responsible for one third of all the data produced.  In the middle of the project, a private US company declared that it could do the job faster and cheaper.  This meant that they would have had control over the information contained in the human genome, with an immeasurable potential for commercial gain.

The UK stance is that a human genome sequence is a discovery, not an invention, and must be available to all.  “It is our inalienable heritage”, says the Nobel laureate.  This particular dispute ended favourably for the international scientific community, with all the data freely accessible in public databases.  However, there are still many battles to be fought.  “Governments must guarantee that knowledge as a whole is in the public domain. Globalisation must not only be about competition, but also about ideas”.

As a solution to this imbalance, Sir John supports the establishment of an international fund for research in genetics, thus reducing researchers’ current dependency on private companies.  The idea is that each country would contribute a percentage of its GDP, creating a more equal system.  During his lecture, he also suggested that international bodies such as the UN should set the grounds for law on patents and IP.

Andrew Henderson, British Consul-General in São Paulo, opened the event.  As the Director for UK Trade and Investment in Brazil, he emphasised the importance of reaching a balance between uncontrolled commercial exploitation of science and restricted academic experience.  Two Brazilian scientists also took part. Dr. José Fernando Perez, Scientific Director of FAPESP (The State of São Paulo’s research funding agency) talked about the institution’s genome projects.  Although Brazil was late in joining the field of genomics, in less than ten years the country had established itself as a world-wide leader in fitopathogen sequencing.

The other guest speaker was Dr. Mayana Zatz, Director of the Human Genome Research Centre at USP (University of São Paulo).  She discussed the ethical implications of genetic research, such as the right to use discarded human embryos in researching treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s or muscular dystrophy.

The discussion of ethical and commercial implications in scientific research was timely for Brazil.  In 1992, after extensive internal debates, the UK was a pioneer in allowing the use of embryonic stem cells in research.  Brazil is currently debating comprehensive ‘bio-safety’ legislation in Congress.  When the Bill was under discussion in the Lower House, a block of congressmen linked to Christian churches succeeded in inserting a clause that bans the use of embryonic stem cells in genetic research.  Dr. Zatz, among other scientists, has been actively campaigning for the Senate to alter this section.

The visit was sponsored by the British Council and by the British Consulate in São Paulo.  After a week in Buenos Aires, where he took part in the British Council Argentina’s DNA 50 celebrations, Sir John and Lady Daphne Sulston spent four days in Foz do Iguaçu, going on long walks through the national park.  Of São Paulo’s concrete jungle, his favourite memory will certainly be the quick visit to the snake house at Butantan Institute, where he put aside all his responsibilities and showed that he still has the main trait that attracts a person to science: curiosity.

By Alexandra Ozorio de Almeida
S&T Officer, British Consulate General São Paulo