Text: White House Press Release on Human Genome Project

(Clinton and Blair say research should benefit health)(1470)



President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair applauded
international scientists working on the Human Genome Project (HGP) and
their willingness to share their findings for the benefit of human
health.


Speaking at a White House ceremony, the two leaders also emphasized
that the legal protection of intellectual property is an important
incentive for other scientists to use this data as the basis for
further biomedical discoveries.


The Human Genome Project is an effort to map and identify the
estimated 100,000 genes shaping the characteristics that make up a
human being. The project is expected to "revolutionize the practice of
medicine," according to the White House statement, and will lead to
important new discoveries in detecting, preventing and curing
diseases.


The Clinton administration is supporting the project with the pursuit
of additional funding in the upcoming budget year. That action follows
an eight-year pattern of funding increases for the HGP, which the
White House statement describes as "the world's largest centrally
coordinated biology research project ever undertaken."


Following is the text of the White House statement:



(begin text)



THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary



March 14, 2000



THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT: BENEFITING ALL HUMANITY



March 14, 2000



"Later this year, researchers will complete the first draft of the
entire human genome, the very blueprint of life. It is important for
all our fellow Americans to recognize that federal tax dollars have
funded much of this research, and that this and other wise investments
in science are leading to a revolution in our ability to detect,
treat, and prevent disease."


President Clinton

January 27, 2000, "State of the Union"



At today's Medals of Science and Technology awards ceremony, the
President will announce that he and Prime Minister Tony Blair have
agreed on a statement of principle to ensure that discoveries from the
human genome are used to advance human health. Their joint statement,
to be issued in the U.S. and U.K. today, applauds researchers who have
made their human genome sequence data freely available to the global
scientific community and calls upon others to follow their lead. The
statement also acknowledges the importance of intellectual property
protection as an incentive for the development of important, new
gene-based health care products.


ACCESS TO FUNDAMENTAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE HUMAN GENOME WILL IMPROVE
HEALTH


The United States and the United Kingdom are the leading partners in
the Human Genome Project -- the international effort to map and
sequence the 3 billion 'letters' and to locate and identify the
roughly 100,000 genes that make up the human genetic code.


This project will revolutionize the practice of medicine, providing
the means to custom tailor treatments to the needs of each patient,
and to prolong healthy life by predicting and preventing diseases.


Unencumbered access to the raw human sequence data will promote its
use by scientists all over the world in their efforts to understand
human biology and disease at the level of individual genes.


The single most important development in human biology in the short
term will be the completion of the sequencing of the human genome.
Government-funded research activities have made important
contributions to this result. The private sector has also made
significant advances in recent years.


The single biggest challenge to humankind will be to take this vast
storehouse of information and rapidly develop new products to diagnose
and treat human diseases. That process will require continued support
for government research. It will also require a suitable environment
for the private sector to develop new products, including appropriate
intellectual property protection.


The president's budget calls for a $1 billion increase for biomedical
research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to nearly $18.8
billion. These funds will support merit-based, peer-reviewed research,
largely conducted by individual investigators.


Biomedical research continues to pave the way toward better
diagnostics, treatments, and cures. Recent breakthroughs have led to
techniques that hold promise for treating Parkinson's disease,
diabetes, heart disease, and many other debilitating disorders. As new
health risks arise, prevention of disease also requires increased
attention.


With the increase requested for FY 2001, NIH plans to focus on the
following four themes: exploiting the power of genomics,
reinvigorating clinical research, harnessing the expertise of allied
scientific and engineering disciplines that contribute to biomedical
research, and reducing disparities in health.


The increase will support research in areas such as diabetes, brain
disorders, cancer, genetic medicine, disease prevention strategies,
and development of an AIDS vaccine.


R&D BUDGET -- A BOLD COURSE OF STRATEGIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY THROUGH
DISCOVERY


The President and the Vice President remain unwavering in their
support for science and technology as crucial investments in our
future. These investments enable our nation to compete aggressively in
the global marketplace, protect our environment and manage our natural
resources in a sustainable manner, safeguard our national security
from emerging threats, and spur the technological innovation that has
contributed so much to our economic prosperity and quality of life.


The FY 2001 budget for R&D continues the important R&D trends
established by the President and Vice President:


This is the eighth consecutive year that the President and Vice
President have proposed increased investments in civilian research and
development. Civilian R&D is up 43% since they have taken office.


It boosts funding for basic research by 7% -- a $1.3 billion increase.
Funding for basic research is up 52% since 1993.


R&D support to Universities increases 8% -- a $1.3 billion increase.
R&D support to Universities is up 53% since 1993.


Perhaps most important, this budget presents a balanced R&D portfolio,
which recognizes the interdependence among the scientific disciplines.
Gains in one field are often dependent on advances in others.


HUMAN GENOME PROJECT FACT SHEET



March 14, 2000



Benefiting All Humanity. The Human Genome Project (HGP), an
international effort formally begun in October 1990, was planned to
last 15 years, but rapid technological advances have accelerated the
expected completion date by at least two years. The project's are to
discover all of the approximate 100,000 human genes (the human genome)
and make them accessible for further biological study and to determine
the complete sequence of the 3 billion DNA subunits (bases). As part
of the HGP, parallel studies are being carried out on selected model
organisms such as the bacterium E. coli to help develop the technology
and interpret human gene function. The HGP is also the first large
scientific undertaking to address the ethical, legal, and social
issues that may arise from such a project. The National Institutes of
Health's National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and the
Department of Energy's Human Genome Program together make up the U.S.
Human Genome Project, the world's largest centrally coordinated
biology research project ever undertaken. The U.K.'s Wellcome Trust, a
private philanthropy, also contributes to the global initiative and
supports one of the five principal large-scale human genome sequencing
centers.


Longer Lives and Better Health. The project will reap enormous
benefits for humankind, some that we can anticipate and others that
will surprise us. Biologists and researchers will have access to
detailed DNA information that is key to understanding the structure,
organization, and function of DNA in chromosomes. Genome maps of other
organisms will provide the basis for comparative studies that are
often critical to understanding more complex biological systems.
Information generated and technologies developed will revolutionize
future biological explorations. Technology and resources generated by
the Human Genome Project and other genomics research are already
having a major impact on research across the life sciences. For
example, the HGP has produced detailed maps that can be used to help
pinpoint genes associated with particular diseases, leading to better
treatment and prevention methods. A prime example is that families at
risk of hereditary colon cancer can now be screened and lessen their
chances of dying from this illness with surveillance and dietary
measures. The potential for commercial development of genomics
research also presents U.S. industry with a wealth of opportunities,
and sales of DNA-based products and technologies in the biotechnology
industry are projected to exceed $45 billion by 2009.


Strong Administration Support for Human Genome Research. During the
past eight years, President Clinton and Vice President Gore have
increased the funding for this ambitious project by 165%, providing
over $2.6 billion in federal funds to the HGP.


Clinton/Gore Administration U.S. Human Genome Project Funding History
(dollars in millions)


Year            NIH            DOE             Total

1993           $106.1         $63.0           $169.1

1994            127.0          63.3            190.3

1995            153.8          68.7            222.5

1996            169.3          73.9            243.2

1997            188.9          77.9            266.8

1998            218.3          85.5            303.8

1999            283.6          89.8            373.4

2000            335.9          88.9            424.8

2001 Request    357.7          90.3            448.0



Total                                         $2,641.9



(end text)



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