经济学人275:生物技术专利的法律纠纷

 　　Biotech patents

　　生物技术专利

　　Taking it personally

　　对人下药

　　A legal fight over a new generation of medicine

　　新一代药品的法律纠纷

　　DRUG research is in dark times, as pipelines¹ dry up and development budgets are cut. But one shaft² of light pierces the gloom. “Personalised medicine” promises to craft drugs for individuals. Genetic³ tests will identify those who will benefit from specific medicines. Treatment will be more effective; waste will drop. Personalised medicine has sparked excitement among drugmakers, doctors, hospitals and patients. It has also sparked a legal brawl⁴.

　　随着新药品种开发减少，药品的研发资金缩减，药品研究正处于黑暗时期。但有一束光带来了一线希望。“个性化药品”承诺为个人定制药品。基因测试将识别出那些从特制药品中获益的人。从而加强治疗效果；降低浪费水平。个性化药品让制药商、医生和病人均欣喜若狂。这也引发了法律纠纷。

　　On December 7th America’s Supreme⁵ Court heard arguments in Mayo v Prometheus. The suit, despite a name that suggests an ancient liver sandwich, may be crucial for biotechnology firms. America is the world’s hub for drug research. By definition, personalised medicine includes the study of genetic mutations and other personal characteristics. However, American law bars patents of nature and abstract ideas. The question is which discoveries in personalised medicine may be patented.

　　2011年12月7日美国高等法院听取了梅奥V普罗米修斯的辩论。这一诉讼虽然以暗示古代肝三明治的名义进行，但是对于生物公司来说至关重要。美国是全球药品研究中心。按定义，定制药品包括对于基因突变的研究和其他个性化特征。但是美国的法律禁止给自然和抽象的概念颁发专利。问题在于个性化药品的哪一种发现可能授予专利。

　　Prometheus is part of a series of suits over biotech patents. Courts have been active because Congress has not. A recent patent reform provided little clarity. Congress merely ordered a study of genetic testing. Judges have been bolder: in July a federal court ruled that genes⁶ could be patented. On December 7th the suit’s losers appealed to the Supreme Court.

　　普罗米修斯公司是陷入一系列生物技术专利权之争的公司之一。因国会无动于衷，法庭便积极地应对。最近的专利改革提供模棱两可的解释。国会仅是指示对基因测试进行研究。法官们是更加的大胆：7月份联邦法庭裁决基因可获得专利。12月7日该案件的败诉方上诉至最高法院。

　　But Prometheus may have greater practical import, says Hans Sauer of the Biotechnology Industry Organisation⁷ (BIO), a trade group. Firms are studying genetic correlations⁸ that might predict a drug’s efficacy or determine the cause of a disease. Prometheus may determine whether methods using such correlations may be patented.

　　生物科技产业组织（BIO）的汉斯.萨奥尔说，但普罗米修斯案可能实际起的作用更大。研究遗传相关的公司可能预计到药品的功效或决定疾病的缘由。普罗米修斯案可能裁定使用这种相关方法是否能授予专利。

1 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

2 shaft   

n.(工具的)柄，杆状物

参考例句：

• He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
• This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

3 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

4 brawl   

n.大声争吵，喧嚷；v.吵架，对骂

参考例句：

• They had nothing better to do than brawl in the street.他们除了在街上斗殴做不出什么好事。
• I don't want to see our two neighbours engaged in a brawl.我不希望我们两家吵架吵得不可开交。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

7 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

8 correlations   

相互的关系( correlation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One would expect strong and positive correlations between both complexes. 人们往往以为这两个综合体之间有紧密的正相关。
• The correlations are of unequal value. 这些对应联系的价值并不相同。