AXIOS August 15, 2024
Negotiators from around the world are meeting in Montreal this week to hammer out how to divide the billions of dollars and other benefits derived from using genetic sequences to make new drugs, cosmetics and agricultural products.
Why it matters: Without a system for sharing the benefits, countries don’t have to be compensated by companies and can restrict access to genetic data and create obstacles to scientific research.
- “It puts a whole lot of sand in the machine,” says Pierre du Plessis, a technical adviser to an African group of negotiators.
- “It’s in everyone’s interest to put in place an agreed system for not unnecessarily restricting access to data.”
The dilemma for countries that take a hard line...
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