Policy implications of commercial human genetic research in Newfoundland and Labrador

The mandate of the standing committee iv Executive Summary will be to advise the province on current developments in the field of human genetics in general, and to serve as the body that reviews proposed benefit-sharing agreements under the Provincial Approval Model. [...] The main body of the report proceeds in a systematic manner to provide the substantive argument that leads to the above recommendations. [...] Discussions of the status of human DNA run the risk of being ambiguous regarding whether what is being referred to is the physical substance or the information it contains. [...] The aim is to identify a model that passes the tests of ethical, legal, and social- political acceptability, without sacrificing the commercial viability of the research. [...] Governed properly, commercial human genetic research can be conducted in a manner that ensures both that the health and economic interests of the citizens of Newfoundland and Labrador are protected, even as the commercial interests of the sponsors of this research are advanced.