The Commodification of Bioinformation: The Icelandic Health Sector Database (IHSD)

This is a report by Dr Hilary Rose (City University and Gresham College), based on the findings of a research project supported by the Wellcome Trust.

The study begins by setting the Icelandic case in the wider field of genomics, which is distinguished by the strong interest of venture capital, major pharmaceutical firms, new biotechnology companies and governments. It then follows the chronology of the controversy surrounding the establishment of the IHSD from its inception in 1994. The study concludes with some reflections on the Icelandic case, and the light it may cast on the many historically new ethical, legal and social challenges of the new genomics.

Download the report [PDF 220KB].