Inquiry over Dolly patent may be launched

Two UK politicians have called for an inquiry into the transfer of the 'Dolly cloning' patents to the US firm Geron Corporation in 1999. Conservative MP Bill Cash and Labour MP Nigel Griffiths say that British taxpayers could miss out on 'billions' of pounds as a result of the deal.

Dolly was created using the 'nuclear transfer technique' at the Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, in 1996. The Institute set up a private company, Roslin Biomed, which was acquired by Geron Corporation in 1999. The deal gave Geron the right to exploit the technology in the development of 'therapeutic cloning' - the use of cloned early embryo cells to make new body tissues.

The National Audit Office, the UK government's spending watchdog, will launch a preliminary inquiry to look at how publicly-funded research is exploited. It will then decide whether or not to publish a full report.

Earlier this year, Grahame Bulfield, director of the Roslin Institute, said that the government could not have its cake and eat it. 'Without the joint development with Geron these benefits would not be available at all. Geron's involvement will mean there will be inward investment into Britain' he said.