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News on ethics in medicine and biotechnology: April 2005


Mother wants £250,000 for failed abortion

A mother who gave birth to a twin girl after an abortion failed is suing the hospital for £250,000 to help bring up her daughter.

29 April 2005, The Telegraph (UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/25/nabor25.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/04/25/ixhome.html

Also see:
Twins survive abortion, mother sues (25 April 2005, Medical News Today)

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Europeans say ignorant about GMO foods, crops-poll

Four out of 10 Europeans feel ignorant about genetically modified (GMO) crops and foods and a quarter of them are worried that gene-altered products used in farming will affect the environment, a poll showed on Friday.

29 April 2005, Reuters (quoted by Checkbiotech.org)
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsletter&topic_id=2&subtopic_id=10&doc_id=10223

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Lords back 'designer baby' choice

The creation of "designer babies" to treat sick siblings is lawful, the Law Lords have ruled, upholding an earlier court decision.

28 April 2005, BBC News (UK)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4492345.stm

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Green light for transgenic maize in Portugal

Late last week, the Portuguese Newspaper, Diario de Noticias, reported the Portuguese government has approved transgenic maize.

28 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsletter&topic_id=1&subtopic_id=2&doc_id=10210

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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EU ministers reject GM ingredient, again

European ministers once again throw out a Commission proposal to allow a GM ingredient to flow into the food chain.

28 April 2005, checkbiotech.org
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsletter&topic_id=2&subtopic_id=11&doc_id=10204

Also see:
EU Commission requests end to national bans on GM foods (26 April 2005, Europa News quoted by Checkbiotech.org)
EU may allow first GMO crop for growing since 1998 (22 April 2005, Reuters quoted by Checkbiotech.org)

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Syngenta's Bt corn mixup heating transatlantic GM row again

The report that Syngenta had accidentally mislabelled and sold unapproved and controversial genetically modified strain of corn has led to a number of heated discussions across the atlantic:

Syngenta EU corn imports prove free of GMO strain (27 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org)
EU lab OKs testing method for biotech corn (25 April 2005, Forbes quoted by Checkbiotech.org)
Stalking genetically modified corn (20 April 2005, Siegel quoted by Checkbiotech.org)
EU list of OK'd biotech products published (18 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org)
EU certified needed, or banned—US outraged (18 April 2005, Reuters quoted by Checkbiotech.org)
Sees no trade disruption on corn gluten to EU (18 April 2005, Reuters quoted by Checkbiotech.org)
EU commissioner to visit US on Bt10 from Syngenta (15 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org)
Illegal GM ingredient Bt10 unlikely to pose risk, says EFSA (14 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org)
EU not planning to ban US corn imports - certificates (12 April 2005, Reuters quoted by Checkbiotech.org)
EU should not punish US in biotech corn case-USDA (11 April 2005, Reuters quoted by Checkbiotech.org)
EU confident in biotech safeguards (4 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org)

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Poland to benefit from GM technology

Early adoption of GM technology in arable crops would bring clear farm level and environmental benefits for Poland according to a new report published today.

26 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsletter&topic_id=5&subtopic_id=24&doc_id=10190

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Baby 'should be allowed to die'

A severely brain-damaged baby should be allowed to die if she stops breathing, a High Court judge has ruled.

21 April 2005, BBC News (UK)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/4466855.stm

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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EU won't up stem cell funding

Even as commission research budget doubles, Potocnik won't seek to increase funding directly

19 April 2005, The Scientist
http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20050419/01

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Euthanasia kits available at 250 Belgian pharmacies

Family doctors who wish to carry out euthanasia at a patient's home can now procure a "kit" containing the necessary materials at 250 pharmacies throughout Belgium, media reported.

17 April 2005, Yahoo! News
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1508&e=12&u=/afp/belgiumhealth

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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New GM crop research hub at Cambridge

The National Institute of Agricultural Botany in Cambridge is playing a key role in a research programme that could lay the groundwork for mass GM farming across Europe.

17 April 2005, Business Weekly quoted by Checkbiotech
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsletter&topic_id=1&subtopic_id=1&doc_id=10132

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Cloned horse born in Italy

The birth of the clone of a castrated horse was to be announced in France and Italy by the genetic engineering laboratories Cryozootech of Evry, France, and LTR-CIZ of Cremona, Italy.

14 April 2005, Yahoo! News
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1540&e=20&u=/afp/scienceclonehorses

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Tick for genetic modification method

European countries with strong lobbying against GM crops have reacted positively to a new technique developed by Lincoln scientists using genetic engineering without foreign DNA.

14 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsletter&topic_id=1&subtopic_id=8&doc_id=10112

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Suit filed against German GM law

A challenge to the controversial crop regulation is taken to the country's highest court

13 April 2005, The Scientist (UK)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20050413/01

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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UK woman killed by rare IVF risk

A woman died two days after starting IVF treatment from a rare complication of the therapy, an inquest was told.

13 April 2005, BBC News (UK)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4440573.stml

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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European patent on Monsanto herbicide-tolerant plants limited

US company Monsanto's European patent EP 546090 concerning the production of herbicide-tolerant plants is to be maintained in limited form.

8 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsletter&topic_id=6&subtopic_id=32&doc_id=10078

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Watchdog rejects genetic profiling of babies

The genetic profiling of babies to determine which diseases they may be prone to was rejected yesterday on the grounds of ethics - but only for the time being.

1 April 2005, The Guardian (UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1449884,00.html

Also see:
DNA profiling of babies rejected (1 April 2005, BBC News)

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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Greece supports biotechnology but wary of effects

Greece supports the development of biotechnology but is wary of its side effects, Greek Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas said here Thursday.

1 April 2005, Checkbiotech.org
http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=news&doc_id=10017&start=1&control=190&page_start=1&page_nr=101&pg=1

(Submitted by SIBLE, UK)

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