Couple celebrates ‘designer babies’ ruling

AN IRISH couple were last night celebrating the decision by Britain’s fertility watchdog to broaden its rules on embryo screening to allow the birth of “designer babies” to cure sick siblings.

It means the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has changed its policy to allow screening for purposes other than weeding out genetic disorders.

Joe and Julie Fletcher, whose two-year-old son, Joshua, could benefit from the new policy, toasted the decision over champagne.

Mr Fletcher said the news had come as a great relief.

The Co Down fireman said the case of Joshua, who suffers from a rare blood disorder, had forced the HFEA to review its policy.

“This is a change in the rules. It isn’t a judgment on our case. What we need is for them to say ‘yes, you have passed the criteria and can now proceed’. That will come hopefully within a few short weeks and we will start along the road. This decision opens up the door for us.”

He added: “It was our case that forced them into looking at it because all the press and medical people were behind us and against the HFEA’s previous stance.”

Mr Fletcher said the family would be discussing their next move with their doctor, top fertility expert Dr Mohammed Taranissi, who applied to the HFEA for a test case licence application.

Joshua, who suffers from Diamond-Blackfan anaemia, needs a transplant of stem cells from a genetically matched donor.

Neither Mr and Mrs Fletcher nor their five-year-old son, Adam, were close enough matches to allow for a transplant to go ahead.

Last night’s decision should allow them to press ahead with the process of screening embryos created during IVF treatment.

The plan is to create up to 12 embryos using in vitro fertilisation and then use pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to select those with the right HLA genes - the genes that decide a person’s tissue type.

Yesterday’s decision came as 18 members of the authority met at its headquarters in London to consider the results of its policy review, announced in May.

The change is predicted to spark a furious backlash from pro-life groups, who warn it will lead to “a very worrying slippery slope”.

Past cases have allowed parents to use screening if it is of benefit to the embryo, but not when the only purpose is to create genetic conditions to help another with no benefit to the child to be born.