gene of medical importance

Definition: A wide variety of medicaments and folk remedies may be involved, but the particularly important groups are: (a) psychotropic drugs that do not produce dependence, such as antidepressants, (b) laxatives, and (c) analgesics that may be purchased without medical prescription, such as aspirin and paracetamol. Persistent use of these substances often involves unnecessary contacts with medical professionals or supporting staff, and is sometimes accompanied by harmful physical effects of the substances. Attempts to dissuade or fo ...[+++]rbid the use of the substance are often met with resistance; for laxatives and analgesics this may be in spite of warnings about (or even the development of) physical harm such as renal dysfunction or electrolyte disturbances. Although it is usually clear that the patient has a strong motivation to take the substance, dependence or withdrawal symptoms do not develop as in the case of the psychoactive substances specified in F10-F19. | Abuse of:antacids | herbal or folk remedies | steroids or hormones | vitamins | Laxative habit

1. Instruments and apparatus intended for medical research, establishing medical diagnoses or carrying out medical treatment which are donated either by a charitable or philanthropic organisation or by a private individual to health authorities, hospital departments or medical research institutions approved by the competent authorities of the Member States to receive such articles duty free, or which are purchased by such health authorities, hospitals or medical research institutions entirely with funds supplied by a charitable or philanthropic organisation or with voluntary contributions, shall be admitted free of ...[+++]import duties, always provided that it is established that:

24. Attaches great significance, in medical and economic terms, to disease genetics; research in the field of disease genetics is aimed at gaining an understanding of the links between the emergence and development of diseases from a genetic angle and at obtaining from such understanding pointers as to how to treat or prevent such diseases or develop medicines; disease genetics takes account of the many-sided processes of interac ...[+++]tion between genes, gene products and environmental factors and opens up very promising prospects for effectively influencing pathological processes without intervention to modify the genome;

Therefore, when we talk about the Kyoto Protocol at Genoa, it is very important that we are able to do so in a way which leads to action on climate change and not the collapse of what has been an extremely important effort by the international community to address a major change.

11. Reiterates its concern at the possible consequences of the granting by the European Patent Office of patents on BRC AC 1 and BRC A2 ("breast cancer") genes; calls on the EPO to reconsider the patenting of these genes and calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the human genetic code is freely available for research throughout the world and that medical applications of certain human genes are not impeded by monopolies based on patents;