{"title":"Partial ectogestation and threats to the fetus: how healthcare professionals' caution may reinforce the medicalization of pregnancy and childbirth.","authors":"Victoria Adkins","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsaf023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Partial ectogestation is being developed in a bid to improve the survival rates and health outcomes associated with prematurity, but limited empirical research has been conducted on the views of key stakeholders, particularly healthcare professionals, in relation to this technology. This paper explores healthcare professionals' perspectives in England on the use and implementation of partial ectogestation, within the medicalized context of pregnancy and childbirth. Following an online survey, qualitative interviews were undertaken with 22 healthcare professionals who work closely with pregnant individuals and fetuses. Using a formula of the precautionary principle from environmental studies, the analysis presented illustrates healthcare professionals' apprehension toward partial ectogestation. With the fetus who may come to be transferred to an artificial placenta device at the centre of their concerns, participants were cautious of the technology producing poor outcomes and pushing the boundaries of nature. In response to these threats, they encourage strict criteria and clear parameters around the use of the technology. While healthcare professionals appear to endorse a social model of pregnancy when it comes to partial ectogestation, echoes of medicalization persist through medical determinations of poor outcomes and the continued centralization of the fetus as a patient.</p>","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 2","pages":"lsaf023"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12560763/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145403101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A circular bio-economy approach to regulating genetic resource research: rethinking access and benefit sharing.","authors":"Fran Humphries","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsaf019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Access and benefit sharing (ABS) regulates the collection and use of genetic resources, associated traditional knowledge and in some cases digital sequence information for research and development (R&D) purposes and the equitable sharing of monetary and non-monetary benefits from their use. Global examples of benefit sharing have fallen short of expectations under this framework and there is little empirical data about the effects of regulation on bio-innovation. This article argues that the limited ABS tools of authorization and contracts are not effectively delivering benefit sharing aspirations because of the disconnect between linear assumptions underlying genetic resource R&D. Through a critical legal analysis of ABS, circular economy principles and legal mechanisms, it rethinks ABS governance to propose a new circular bio-economy system for more efficient benefit sharing. It proposes a pathway for transforming the linear 'single use' regulatory model toward a generative value chain model, supported by a range of legal tools that facilitate long-term benefit sharing for the planet and its people.</p>","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 2","pages":"lsaf019"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12536872/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145350239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Margaux Reckelbus, Riya Mohan, Phaedra Locquet, Eva Van Steijvoort, Isabelle Huys, Pascal Borry
{"title":"Disparities in access to gene therapy in the European Union: ethical and regulatory challenges.","authors":"Margaux Reckelbus, Riya Mohan, Phaedra Locquet, Eva Van Steijvoort, Isabelle Huys, Pascal Borry","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsaf018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gene therapies represent a significant advancement in modern medicine, offering potential cures for untreatable genetic disorders. However, equitable access to these innovative therapies remains a critical ethical challenge within the European Union (EU). This paper examines the adequacy of the EU's centralized market authorization framework, supplemented by alternative pathways such as the Hospital Exemption and Compassionate Use Program, in addressing access disparities. While the centralized framework ensures high standards of safety, quality, and efficacy, its implementation reveals significant barriers related to affordability, geographical disparities, and fragmented national healthcare systems. High costs create financial obstacles for both healthcare systems and individuals, disproportionately affecting low-income countries and regions. Geographic disparities are further exacerbated by fragmented regulations and uneven healthcare infrastructures across member states, limiting patient access in rural areas. Alternative pathways, while designed to improve access, suffer from inconsistent national-level implementation. This paper argues that as the EU navigates the complexities of gene therapy regulation, it must focus on creating a more cohesive and inclusive framework. By doing so, it can ensure that the potential of gene therapies is realized in a manner that benefits all EU citizens, irrespective of their geographic or economic circumstances.</p>","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 2","pages":"lsaf018"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12481686/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145208605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Can the right to science redress inequitable access to innovative cancer therapy? A case for the justiciability of this 'lesser known' human right.","authors":"Ghada A Zakout","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsaf017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The human right to science, including the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress, is by far the least understood human right despite its central role in shaping scientific innovation. Research into innovative cancer therapies and biotechnologies has been pivotal in the realization of much of these advancements. Yet much of it is not accessible, affordable, or available to patients who need them most. This article examines the nature and scope of the right to science in cancer research in the context of General Comment No. 25 on Science and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (E/C.12/GC/25) and Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The normative and ethical imperative of the right is annotated to provide a basis for its justiciability when redressing the pervasive issue of inequitable access to innovative cancer therapy. It argues that a constitutional dialogue that conceptualizes the right to science is warranted when rethinking ways ethical and human rights friendly research can be achieved. This renewed interest comes at a critical juncture when science in its contemporaneous situation needs to tackle cancer healthcare inequities amid turbulent geopolitical and epidemiologic challenges while addressing the rising cancer burden globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 2","pages":"lsaf017"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12448284/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145115051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Legal personhood and legal capacity: the case of the locked-in syndrome.","authors":"Fernando Vidal","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf015","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The situation of persons diagnosed with locked-in syndrome (LIS) raises a significant legal challenge. As a consequence of a brainstem stroke, they are quadriplegic and lack articulate speech but have normal visual perception, bodily sensations, consciousness, and cognitive functions. It is only with human and technological assistance that they can communicate, express their will, make responsible decisions, and exert their civil rights. Insofar as they can communicate, there seems in principle to be no reason for restricting their legal capacity. This, however, has not always been recognized. In the early 2000s in Spain, two men with LIS who had been declared 'incapable' and deprived of their civil rights reclaimed them in court. Rights were given back to the one who could use a computer. They were initially refused to the other, who communicated solely by blinking and depended on a human intermediary. Only the human-machine system was trusted to convey faithfully and reliably the subject's autonomous will. This article describes these two cases in their legal context and discusses how they can throw light on the exercise of legal capacity by persons with disabilities after the adoption in 2006 of the UN <i>Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 2","pages":"lsaf015"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12354950/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144876978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correction to: Intellectual property issues for open science practices in genomic-related health research and innovation in Africa.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsaf013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/jlb/lsae026.].</p>","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 2","pages":"lsaf013"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12343463/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144849706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating the USPTO's AI inventorship guidance in AI-driven drug discovery.","authors":"Joanna Wang","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsaf014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In February 2024, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a notice, <i>Inventorship Guidance for AI-assisted Inventions</i> ('Inventorship Guidance'), to clarify agency policy and the Office's interpretation of inventorship requirements for patents that describe inventions made with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). From the perspective of an AI-driven drug discovery (AIDD)-focused business, the Inventorship Guidance offers potential benefits that include increased clarity in patent eligibility, facilitated collaboration between AI experts and drug discovery scientists, and incentivization for continued development of AI tools. However, there remain concerns with the application of the framework outlined in the Inventorship Guidance, such as the complex assessment of substantial human contributions in the real world, challenges in applying the Inventorship Guidance to collaborations and partnerships in the drug discovery field, and challenges in determining inventorship for AI tools versus specific drug innovations. To address these challenges, I propose recommendations for modifying the Inventorship Guidance for the AIDD industry, suggest best practices for inventorship documentation and processes, and advocate for continued partnership between the USPTO and the AIDD sector. By refining the existing framework and fostering ongoing dialog, I aim to promote a balanced approach that encourages AI-driven innovation while recognizing essential human contributions in drug discovery.</p>","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 2","pages":"lsaf014"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12317375/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Surplus embryo donation: terminology and ethico-legal perspectives.","authors":"Roy Gilbar, Sivan Tamir","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsaf009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Numerous cryopreserved surplus embryos are being stored in IVF units in Western countries. IVF patients are required to choose and consent to disposition options for their surplus embryos upon starting treatment. We focus on the option of embryo donation to others for reproductive purposes. The terminology used for this practice is inconsistent, as the term embryo 'donation' is used interchangeably with embryo 'adoption' in different jurisdictions, government programs, and by private initiatives. Our main argument is that the selected terminology bears conceptual and other consequences for public attitudes, in a way which affects the choice of such a surplus embryo-disposition-option. More specifically, we contend that the pairing of 'embryo-adoption' is misguided. We identify material, legal, and policy-related points of distinction between the practices of donation and adoption. Then, we discuss the importance of choosing the <i>right</i> terminology, given its power to influence the perception of embryo donation/adoption, and analyze conceptual differences between the two terms, finding only 'donation' to be fit for purpose. Next, relying on findings from an empirical study, we consider the effect of the <i>non</i>-personhood of the embryo on the appropriateness of each term. Subsequently, we distinguish donation from adoption and justify why the former is more appropriate.</p>","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 2","pages":"lsaf009"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12260842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144651283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Late disclosures of federal funding in US patents.","authors":"Luis Gil Abinader","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf012","DOIUrl":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Enacted primarily to encourage patents on federally funded inventions, an additional policy objective of the Bayh-Dole Act is to increase visibility around scientific discoveries made with US government support. The Bayh-Dole Act requires federal grantees to disclose subject inventions to funding agencies and declare government support in their patents. Prior research has shown, however, that hundreds of grantees have failed to declare federal funding in biomedical patents, and others have acknowledged government support several years late through certificates of corrections. Combining data from the National Institutes of Health and the Patent and Trademark Office, this study explores the extent to which grantees have declared government support late through certificates of corrections and likely reasons why this occurred. Over 3000 patents covering federally funded inventions have been corrected to acknowledge government support late, most in recent years. Many of these corrections appear to have been driven by high-profile controversies, changes in the Bayh-Dole regulations, and civil society advocacy. These findings call for policies to encourage timely compliance with invention reporting requirements and to increase the visibility of late acknowledgements of US government funding.</p>","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 1","pages":"lsaf012"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12152413/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144276822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Displaying wastewater surveillance data: an ethics framework.","authors":"Govind Persad, Anne Barnhill, Douglas MacKay","doi":"10.1093/jlb/lsaf001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jlb/lsaf001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56266,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Law and the Biosciences","volume":"12 1","pages":"lsaf001"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12147213/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144259462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}