Brownback Bill Would Criminalize Medical Research

Washington, D.C. (April 10, 2002)-Carl B. Feldbaum, president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), issued the following statement today in response to the White House event supporting the Brownback bill (S. 1899):

“While we wholeheartedly agree that reproductive uses of this technology should be banned, the Brownback bill would criminalize research into therapeutic applications for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease and juvenile diabetes, as well as other afflictions. Because it goes too far, the biotechnology industry opposes this bill. We favor the bipartisan efforts of Senator Specter, Senator Feinstein and Senator Kennedy, which would ban the cloning of human beings while allowing medical research to go forward."

BIO represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states and 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.

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