Latest BioSLR

Confounding bioscientists and librarians alike, volume 8 issue 4 (of 6) for 2005-2006 of the cult bimonthly Bio-Science Law Review has emerged, this being April 2007. Published by Lawtext Publishing, this lovable journal leads with the now near-obligatory review of the Gowers Review, this time being a focus on Gowers' bio-impact penned by Editorial Board member Nigel Jones (Linklaters). The other main features are

* "Levelling the Genetic Field? OECD Guidelines for the Licensing of Genetic Inventions" by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer pair Jonathan Bell and Andrew Skudder. This is a short-and-sweet piece on a potentially vital document that has received relatively little attention in legal journals so far (you can read the original Guidelines here - they only run to 27 pages);

* "Risk Management and Transparency in Pre-Clinical Research and Early Clinical Trials: Lessons Learnt from TGN1412" by Carla Schoonderbeek (NautaDutilh), TGN1412, left, being the near-fatal treatment developed by TeGenero for leukaemia;

* "Regulation of the Use of Genetically Modified Organisms in the EU" by Taylor Wessing's Dr Gareth Morgan, this being a high-level review that provides a useful handle with which to grip such curious concepts as self-cloning.

The IPKat has a very soft spot for this publication and hopes that it continues to flourish within its little niche.