Discount Laboratories?
There has been discussion on Facebook about the “discount” laboratories for DNA testing. Optigen opened legal action against Pawprints for marketing the prcd-PRA test without proper license from Optigen. None of the labs are authorized to market the prcd-PRA tests except Optigen and it’s licensees. As mentioned in a previous post Laboklin is authorized in Europe; and there is also a licensee in Australia. The GR-PRA1 test is not patented, so it is fair game for any lab. The GR-PRA2 (Animal Health Trust in UK) and ICT (Antagene in France) tests are in the process of patenting.
The problem with giving our money to the unlicensed labs is that these are not the people who spent the money to develop these tests. If there are no teeth in patent laws, how can the research continue?
From one of the discussions, I computed the cost of all 4 tests we are commonly doing in Goldens with Optigen discount days; and with the amount one poster mentioned for the same 4 tests with another lab. The difference may be around $125. The total cost from Optigen is about $327 … works out to about $82 per test. I just can’t convince myself I should support theft of intellectual property for that amount of money? No, I don’t own stock in Optigen, and I always try to help people figure out how to minimize the number of tests they have to order. I’m very budget conscious!
I like the idea that if anything were in error about the testing, I’d be dealing with the people who are most interested in figuring out what’s wrong with the results. It is their test & their reputation on the line.
No question that this DNA testing is making breeding more expensive. I pay $525 for hips & elbows. Physical eye exams each year now run $37-$38 at a clinic. God willing I get to do that for at least 10 years for each dog. One weekend of showing or trialing costs ??? Just one weekend …