Page 405 - Binder2

• The platform itself is biologically open (e.g.,
lettuce, rice, duckweed).
• Public funding or open science played a role in
development.

Will pharma enable global distribution—or attempt to
control it through proprietary delivery vectors, expression
cassettes, and “biologic DRM”?

The moral choice is stark:

• Pharma as controller of a new delivery ecosystem.
• Or pharma as partner in a decentralized, equitable
biologics movement.

2. Who Owns the Gene?

Every biologic begins with DNA. And DNA is not a
corporate invention—it’s a universal code drawn from life
itself.

When companies patent a gene that encodes a therapeutic
protein:

• Are they patenting invention or discovery?
• Are they asserting rights over shared biology?

This question becomes even more pressing when:

• The gene is derived from a public human
antibody library.
• The plant used is a traditional medicine in
Indigenous cultures.
• The expression system was developed with
taxpayer funding.

403