Scottish Council on Human Bioethics

15 Morningside Road, Edinburgh EH10 4DP, Tel: 0131 447 6394

27 July 2006

Press release:

IVF eggs for Cloning Research

Following the announcement, today, that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) had issued a license to allow women undergoing IVF to donate eggs to therapeutic cloning research in exchange of cheaper treatment, the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics (SCHB) is extremely concerned that this may lead the exploitation of the poor at the expense of biomedical research.

Dr. Calum MacKellar, the Director of Research of the SCHB indicated, in this respect, that "this kind of agreement by women to donate their eggs for research will generally exploit the poorest members of our society" adding "no rich person would even consider this kind of arrangement."

He also stated that "for the HFEA to announce that it had given a licence to a Newcastle-based research team for women to give their eggs to research in exchange of treatment before a public consultation is undertaken is scandalous and shows complete contempt for the general public."

In addition the SCHB is concerned that the procedure is not risk free for the woman giving the eggs since many eggs must be retrieved from female patients and this is not without the risks of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome following aggressive hormonal treatments. [1]

Dr. MacKellar also indicated that “it is completely unethical for a women to have to give parts of her body like this and is morally similar to having to sell her organs in exchange of medical treatment”.

The SCHB notes, moreover, that this new technology would be illegal in a number of European countries including Germany, Austria and Ireland.