Great Britain is perhaps very close to a surge of publicly available genetic tests . Yet there are virtually no controls on independent tests before they are put up for sale, and it is notoriously difficult to regulate the allegations made to them by suppliers test. In poor conditions, many could even do more harm than good.
These are the conclusions of the report "More Genes Direct" of the Human Genetics Commission (HGC), released today (Tuesday).
Sir John Sulston, who chairs the HGC, said: "There is no doubt that many tests provided without recourse to a doctor or health professional could lead people totally useless d alarm or give them false reassurance. We have a thriving industry here and we have an urgent need to adapt the rules."
Commission calls for the approval mechanisms much more difficult, accepted codes of conduct and the end of direct advertising to the public for tests and services with important implications on health. Companies offering the tests should be made to prove that they are based on sound scientific data.
Dr. Christine Patch, an author of the report, said: "The HGC is against an outright ban on genetic tests sold directly to the public, but people should be aware of what they buying. My simple advice to the public is that, with a lot of tests on the market today, you are wasting your money. At this point, science is not strong enough to provide tests of several genes. "
The main recommendations of the Commission are as follows:
* A revision of the European directive which deals with genetic tests to get rid of the gaps which exempt market depth Pre-assessment.
* The cessation of direct advertising to the public for testing with major health implications.
* A new regulatory system for non-medical purposes "life" tests that did not fall within the EU directive.
The Commission intends to hold talks with the test providers, regulators and others in early 2008 to review the current system for the marketing of genetic tests.
No comments:
Post a Comment