Three-person IVF law passes House of Lords

Legislation permitting the creation of babies from the DNA of three people has passed the House of Lords -- the final obstacle preventing it from becoming law.

The amendments to the 2008 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act were approved in the House of Lords by a majority of 232, following approval in the House of Commonsin early February.

That means the UK is now the first country in the world to approve laws permitting the modified version of in-vitro fertilisation, which can prevent babies inheriting genetic diseases due to defects in cellular structure.

In some people, dysfunctional mitochondria-- the section of bodily cells that converts food into energy -- mean that the body can't produce enough energy for vital functions like the heart and brain. These structures are only passed down from the mother.

The new IVF technique allows for the donation of biological material from a second woman. By replacing the unhealthy mitochondria of the mother with healthy mitochondria from a donor, a healthy baby can be born with 99.9 percent of the DNA of its parents, and 0.1 percent of the DNA of the donor.

The next step will be to develop regulations for the safe implementation of the technique, which was developed in Newcastle. In early summer 2015 the researchers will publish their final safety experiments, with regulations coming into force on 29 October 2015. From 24 November clinics will be able to apply to the regulator for a license to carry out the procedure, with the first attempt taking place as early as the end of the year. It's thought that about 150 couples would qualify for the technique on an annual basis.

In the debate in the House of Lords, Baroness Scotland spoke against the law, saying: "If we are to do something which everyone agrees is novel, different and important internationally, we have to be confident that we are on solid ground. If we are not, we give a disservice. So the question comes back: why the haste?" The Catholic and Anglican Churches also argued against it, saying it was not safe or ethical, as it involved the destruction of embryos.

However, health minister Lord Howe said that there was no sense in delaying the legislation further. "Families can see that the technology is there to help them and are keen to take it up, they have noted the conclusions of the expert panel," he said. "It would be cruel and perverse in my opinion, to deny them that opportunity for any longer than absolutely necessary."

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Three-person IVF law passes House of Lords