The U.S. Supreme Court said it will hear an appeal by Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, which is challenging two patents for tests that determine drug dosages to treat autoimmune diseases, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Mayo says the patents, which belong to San Diego-based Prometheus Laboratories, aren’t valid because the pharmaceutical company is claiming a monopoly right to observe how the human body reacts to certain drugs — a biological phenomenon. Several medical associations have backed Mayo’s appeal, noting patents like Prometheus’ could hinder the practice of medicine and increase the costs of medical treatment.
Prometheus denies laying claim to a natural phenomenon. Supporters say the patent incentives are necessary to attract the private investment that leads to advances in therapeutic medicine.
The Supreme Court will hear the Mayo appeal during its next term, which begins in October.
Read the Wall Street Journal report on Mayo Clinic’s appeal in the Supreme Court.
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