STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER 
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305 
Stanford University School of Medicine 
Department of Medicine 
December 21 , 1979 
Dr. Donald Fredrickson, Director 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, MD 20205 
Dear Dr. Fredrickson, 
I am writing to urge that the recent proposal of the NIH Recombinant Advisory 
Committee, that most cloning in IE. col i K-12B be made exempt from the NIH Guide- 
lines (as outlined on page 69234 of the Federal Register, November 30, 1979) be 
approved and put into force. It seems abundantly clear that there are, in fact, 
no risks to this type of recombinant DNA experiment, and it is likely that this 
type of event has occurred in nature many times in the past. The large number 
of extremely important experiments which can be carried out with much greater 
facility under these new guidelines as well as the absence of any evidence of 
risk make this a logical step. I am sure that much of the scientific community 
will be in support of this and it isjny very strong feeling that the scientific 
arguments for absence of risk are conclusive. Thank you very much. 
Sincerely yours , 
Hugh 0. McDevitt, M.D. 
Professor of Medicine & 
Medical Microbiology 
Division of Immunology M211 
HOM/smf 
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