Expensive Genes

Did you know that there are certain genes in your body that you don’t own? If you wanted to find out if you had a specific gene, you would have to pay a company a lot of money for the test, because they own it.

This kind of blew my mind; it’s one of the stories discussed on 60 Minutes.

In fact, there are a host of companies that hold patents on genes, and they have for decades. It’s an interesting case where a company doesn’t invent something, but simply discovers something—and then lays claim to it.

Only, it’s not that simple.

In order to discover a gene that causes, say, a mutation, someone needs to invest money. And those investors expect a return. But what happens when capitalism gets in the way of public health? Watch the episode and let us know what you think.