Medical Xpress June 6, 2025
The use of 3D printers to create living tissues and organs is revolutionizing medicine—but University of Queensland research reveals the legal system is struggling to keep up as the technology races ahead.
Lead researcher Dr. Pratap Devarapalli from UQ’s Law School said there are about 1,850 Australians on the organ transplant waiting list, with bioprinting emerging as a promising solution if supported by clear and flexible global patent laws.
“Patent law hasn’t kept pace with what’s scientifically possible,” Dr. Devarapalli said.
“The implications extend beyond medicine to fundamental questions about innovation policy.
“Ironically, the more realistic and medically useful a bioprinted organ is, the harder it becomes to patent because laws often require it to be clearly different from what...
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