Finding solutions for affordable and accessible cell and gene therapies

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is not alone in seeking a way to make cell and gene therapies more affordable and accessible. The Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) just completed a year-long effort to consider how treatments could be made more accessible. This effort involved creating a task force comprised of 30 participants to … Continue reading Finding solutions for affordable and accessible cell and gene therapies

Expanding CIRM’s Alpha Clinics Network to deliver transformative regenerative medicine treatments 

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Almost every day, we hear new reports from the thousands of regenerative medicine clinical trials globally sponsored by hundreds of companies and academic researchers. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is a leader in this space supporting some of the most advanced cell and gene … Continue reading Expanding CIRM’s Alpha Clinics Network to deliver transformative regenerative medicine treatments 

Regulated, Reputable and Reliable: FDA’s Taking Additional Steps to Advance Safe and Effective Regenerative Medicine Products

Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research In February 2020, CIRM presented a series of benchmarks for the responsible delivery of stem cell and regenerative medicine products. These benchmarks are outlined in the publication Regulated, reliable and reputable: Protect patients with uniform standards for stem cell treatments. In a nutshell, CIRM … Continue reading Regulated, Reputable and Reliable: FDA’s Taking Additional Steps to Advance Safe and Effective Regenerative Medicine Products

Enabling the Best Choice for Patients: The Need for Effective Patient Navigation

Making sure patients get the treatment they need and not a "snake oil" substitute We are at a turning point in regenerative medicine as the first wave of treatments have obtained FDA approval. But at the same time as we see the advance of scientifically rigorous research and regulated products we are also witnessing the … Continue reading Enabling the Best Choice for Patients: The Need for Effective Patient Navigation

71 for Proposition 71

Proposition 71 is the state ballot initiative that created California's Stem Cell Agency. This month, the Agency reached another milestone when the 71st clinical trial was initiated in the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics (ASCC) Network. The ASCC Network deploys specialized teams of doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians to conduct stem cell clinical trials at … Continue reading 71 for Proposition 71

Lessons Learned & Knowledge Shared: 3rd Annual Alpha Clinics Symposium Celebrates the Delivery of Stem Cell Treatments to Patients

The CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics (ASCC) Network was launched in 2015 to address a compelling unmet medical need for rigorous, FDA regulated, stem cell-related clinical trials for patients with challenging, incurable diseases. Since its inception, the Network has treated more than 200 patients in over 40 clinical trials at six leading California medical centers: … Continue reading Lessons Learned & Knowledge Shared: 3rd Annual Alpha Clinics Symposium Celebrates the Delivery of Stem Cell Treatments to Patients

If you’re into stem cell manufacturing, this is the conference for you!

Fulfilling CIRM’s mission doesn’t just mean accelerating promising stem cell treatments to patients. It also involves accelerating the whole field of regenerative medicine, which involves not just research, but developing candidate treatments, manufacturing cell therapies, and testing these therapies in clinical trials. Manufacturing and the pre-clinical safety evaluation of cell therapies are topics that don’t … Continue reading If you’re into stem cell manufacturing, this is the conference for you!

Using the courts to protect patients from unapproved stem cell therapies

A recent article in Nature looked at using lawsuits to help rein in the activities of clinics offering "unapproved" therapies. CIRM's Geoff Lomax explains. When public health officials wanted to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking they filed lawsuits against the tobacco companies. They accused Big Tobacco of deceptive marketing and hiding the negative … Continue reading Using the courts to protect patients from unapproved stem cell therapies

The Alpha Stem Cell Clinics: Innovation for Breakthrough Stem Cell Treatments

During this third week of the Month of CIRM, we are focusing on CIRM’s Infrastructure programs which are all focused on helping to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. So here is the question of the day: What is the world’s largest network of medical centers dedicated to providing stem cell … Continue reading The Alpha Stem Cell Clinics: Innovation for Breakthrough Stem Cell Treatments

A Clinical Trial Network Focused on Stem Cell Treatments is Expanding

Geoff Lomax is a Senior Officer of CIRM's Strategic Initiatives. California is one of the world-leaders in advancing stem cell research towards treatments and cures for patients with unmet medical needs. California has scientists at top universities and companies conducting cutting edge research in regenerative medicine. It also has CIRM, California’s Stem Cell Agency, which … Continue reading A Clinical Trial Network Focused on Stem Cell Treatments is Expanding