The Application of EU Competition Law to the Exploitation of Human Genome Editing Technology.

This paper explores the application of EU Competition Law to the exploitation of human genome editing technology. Holders of key patents in the sector have applied different methods for disseminating the technology, such as different forms of licensing agreement and patent pools. It is found that that the competition rules are ill-suited to assess some of the licensing arrangements applied, which give rise to legal uncertainty. Accordingly, holders of patents on human genome editing technology may be discouraged to apply efficient methods for disseminating the technology. This may delay or obstruct some of the benefits the technology is supposed to deliver to the market, maker actors and consumers.

Antimicrobial Use in Companion Animals: Assessing Veterinarians' Prescription Patterns through the First National Survey in Chile.

Although the relationship between the use of antimicrobials and the development of resistant bacteria is well established, information about the use of antimicrobials in companion animals has been poorly described, which represents a risk to public health. The aim of this study was to describe the antimicrobial prescription patterns of Chilean companion animal veterinarians. A nationally distributed survey targeted at companion animal veterinarians was designed. The survey included questions about the veterinarian's demographics, bacterial diseases treated, prescribed antimicrobials, and the use of laboratory diagnostic tools. Three hundred twenty-three responses were collected, most of the respondents were female (59.4%). The most frequently reported bacterial diseases were pyoderma (17.2%), followed by otitis and abscesses (7.4%). The antimicrobials most used corresponded with critically or highly important drugs for veterinary and human use, including ß-lactams (65.3%), quinolones (36.2%) and tetracyclines (23.2%). Only 15% of the veterinarians reported the use of laboratory diagnostic tests, although 67% declared they were aware of the official antimicrobial classification schemes. Our results describe for the first time the usage of antimicrobials by veterinarian practitioners in Chile to treat different diseases in companion animals. The data presented here provide a baseline that could help to promote the implementation of clinical guidelines and regulations in order to improve current treatments.