France sticks to its guns on therapeutic cloning ban
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
France is set to maintain its ban on somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) for the purpose of embryonic stem-cell research - so-called therapeutic cloning, under a bill that is expected to pass through parliament by the end of the year. While the move is expected to greatly hinder France in the international biotechnology race, the country's pioneering stance does do justice to the intense public sensitivity surrounding the issue - and not only in France.