Webinar: Ending the Patent on Breast Cancer Genes

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Please join us on Monday, June 25th or Tuesday, June 26th for an important free webinar: Take Back Our Genes: Ending the Patent on Breast Cancer Genes to learn about how one company's control of the "breast cancer genes" creates barriers to research and testing that could endanger your health and compromise the healthcare of hundreds of thousands of women.

In 2009, Breast Cancer Action signed on as a plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging Myriad Genetics' patents on our genes. The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Public Patent Foundation, challenges the legality of the patents that grant Myriad Genetics control over the BRCA1 and BRCA2 (the "breast cancer") genes.

Myriad's monopoly prevents anyone else from so much as examining the genes, and creates barriers to scientific research and medical care relating to breast and ovarian cancer. It also limits women's ability to get second opinions when they receive ambiguous test results, which happens disproportionately to women from ethnic minorities, including African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans.

Breast Cancer Action is the only national breast cancer organization named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. We are able to take this stand because we have no conflicts of interest: we don't take money from companies that profit from or contribute to cancer, and because our work demands that patients must always come before profits.

The webinar will be presented by BCAction's executive director Karuna Jaggar, Sandra Park, Staff Attorney for the Women's Rights Project at the ACLU and Runi Limary, breast cancer survivor and plaintiff. Topics we'll cover include:

Why BCAction opposes gene patenting and why the issue is important for women
The impact of gene patenting on underserved communities
The current status of the ACLU's lawsuit challenging the legality of patents on human genes
Real stories of women's experiences with gene patenting
How you can get involved

Join us on Monday June 25th 3pm PDT/6pm EDT or Tuesday June 26th 10am PDT/1pm EDT for this free one-hour webinar to hear the real story about the effects of gene patents on women's health and to join us in opposing corporate control over our bodies, our genes, and our health.

Register for Monday June 25th 3pm Pacific Daylight Time/6pm Eastern Daylight Time: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/984769942

Register for Tuesday June 26th 10am Pacific Daylight Time/1pm Eastern Daylight Time: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/146771366

For your convenience, we are offering the webinar at two different times. Click on the links above to register for the time and day that works for you.

Sincerely,

Sahru Keiser
BCAction Program Associate of Education and Mobilization