Brownback germline modification bill withdrawn

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) on Friday withdrew legislation that sought to prohibit research or medical interventions that caused human germline modifications. Brownback told the Senate on Thursday that the bill was intended only to prohibit germline modifications and that it would not have affected somatic cell gene therapy or other forms of biomedical research or therapy.

Biotech, medical and patient groups, however, contended that the legislation, offered on Thursday as an amendment to the patients' bill of rights legislation, could have had far-reaching unintended consequences, including potentially prohibiting embryonic stem cell and somatic cell gene therapies. ...