Patients form global alliance

Support groups representing families affected by genetic conditions are planning to form an international alliance to support medical research, reports last week's New Scientist. The new patient advocacy movement also aims to challenge anti-abortion groups, animal rights activists and other organisations that object to some areas of medical research.

Founding members of the group include the UK's Genetic Interest Group (GIG) and the Genetic Alliance in the US. They plan to increase the involvement of patients in medical research and possibly influence the direction it takes. The US-based support group for families affected by pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE International) hopes to do this by applying for patents on the gene involved in the condition, ABCC6. 'With the heavy stick of holding a patent on the gene, we can accelerate the research process, control royalty and licence fees, and eliminate turf wars between researchers' says chairman Patrick Terry.

Terry met with other founding members of the alliance at the recent BioVision conference in Lyons, France, and the groups will meet again at a forthcoming meeting of the European Alliance of Patient and Parent Organisations for Genetic Services and Innovation in Medicine (EAGS).

UK animal rights extremists struck again last week, in a violent attack on Brian Cass of Huntingdon Life Sciences. The managing director of the contract animal research firm was beaten outside his home by a gang armed with baseball bats. Police say the attack was undoubtedly linked to his work, although campaign groups Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty and the Animal Liberation Front have both denied any involvement.