Commodification of the living: regulatory problems of commercialization of biomaterials in the process of development of genomics

Abstract

This article explores the normative problems of commodification of biomaterials in the process of development of genomics and genome medicine. It is demonstrated that in the era of advanced biocapitalism, when the relations between capital, knowledge and life become of particular importance, biomaterials undergo an economic turnover, are viewed as the objects of property and patent law, becoming the source of gaining profit. This results in the conflicts associated with the protection of rights of the individual, whose body is the source of biomaterials. In the context of consideration of the practices of commodification of biomaterials, the author reviews different modes of relations between the individual, science and society, with the characteristic to each of them articulation of the priority of personal or public good. The article provides the ethical analysis of incidents caused by the development of genetic technologies within the framework of the mode of confrontation between the individual and science, altruistic and compensatory modes, and mode of protection of civil rights. The conclusion is made that the developing processes of commodification require finding balance between the rights of the state and the interests of individuals, public good and personal values. The right to control own biomaterials and genetic information, voluntary and free transfer of biological materials, observance of biosafety and medical confidentiality – all these problems of the development of genomics require constant ethical monitoring in each specific case of using biomaterials.