Briefs

(August 30, 2006) The Food and Drug Administration is seeking industry input as it develops new policies for the use and protection of data in genetic research.

The agency on Aug. 30 published a request for information to get comments on a proposed new policy for National Institutes of Health-supported or conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies. Known as GWAS, they are studies of genetic variation across the entire human genome that are designed to identify genetic associations with observable traits, or the presence or absence of a disease or condition.

"The proposed policy addresses data sharing procedures, data access principles, intellectual property and issues regarding the protection of research participants through all phases of GWAS," according to the RFI, published in the Federal Register at gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.

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