GENOMIC RESEARCH LEGAL REGULATION SYSTEM: EXPERIENCE OF RUSSIA AND THE USA

• Main Author: Emil V. Alimov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 2019-12-01
• Series: RUDN Journal of Law
• Subjects: legal regulation; self-regulation; genetics; human genome; genomic research; human rights; russia; usa
• Online Access: http://journals.rudn.ru/law/article/viewFile/22498/17588

This article is devoted to the analysis of the genomic research legal regulation in the Russian Federation and the USA. In the United States, in addition to the legislation great importance is attached to medical and scientific institutions self-regulation, and such information is usually open. It is concluded that in Russia, despite the presence of both state and non-state scientific institutions engaged in genomic research, the mechanism of self-regulation as a whole is fragmented. It is also noted that Russia and the United States have specific legal regulation of these relations, which is reflected in the text of the article. For example, in the United States, unlike Russia, most organizations conducting genomic research, including genomic testing, are non-governmental. Currently, the general trend in the legal regulation of genomic research in Russia and the USA is the active development of normative legal regulation. Moreover, a significant difference in the approaches of these countries is the active role of the US states in the development of regional legal regulation on these issues. Despite the fact that Russia is a federal state, the subjects of the Russian Federation are significantly limited in the genomic research legal regulation possibilities. This is largely due to both legal and political reasons that were given in this article. In the United States, a number of statutes have been adopted at the state level that regulate genomic research in such aspects as health insurance, confidential of personal information, the prohibition of discrimination, screening of newborns, and certain types of clinical and scientific research. It should be noted that the genomic research regulation in the United States is not integrated into a single national consolidated act, which is a feature of this legal system. A comparative legal study of the fundamentals of legal regulation and self-regulation of genomic research in Russia and the USA made it possible to understand the specifics of regulation of these issues in different legal systems. The positive regulatory experience in conducting genomic research in the United States can be used to improve the regulatory framework of the Russian Federation in this area.