The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is caught between a rock and a hard place. And CIRM is going to try and help them get out from under that. As things stand today, if the FDA approves a therapy quickly and a patient later dies from it, then they are widely criticized. If they … Continue reading Doing nothing is not OK: A call for change at the FDA
Food and Drug Administration
To modify, or not to modify: Experts discuss human germline modification at WSCS15
The question of whether human germline modification, or the genetic modification of human reproductive cells, should be allowed or banned was discussed by a panel of experts in the Ethics, Law and Society session during Day 1 of the World Stem Cell Summit. On the panel were Aubrey de Grey, Chief Science Officer of the … Continue reading To modify, or not to modify: Experts discuss human germline modification at WSCS15
The bottom line: stem cell therapies will never be widely available if insurers won’t pay for them
The second session of the World Stem Cell Summit in Atlanta moved past all the promising science and right to the nitty-gritty of making cell-based therapies common. Four panelists reminded the audience that while they too are super excited by the potential for this field, unless folks developing therapies think about reimbursement early those therapies … Continue reading The bottom line: stem cell therapies will never be widely available if insurers won’t pay for them
Call to Action by FDA at World Stem Cell Summit
FDA Deputy Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf talking at the World Stem Cell Summit The World Stem Cell Summit annual conference in Atlanta kicked off today with a clarion call from Dr. Robert Califf, the Deputy Commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration. He told the audience: “We want you to accelerate translation to produce safe … Continue reading Call to Action by FDA at World Stem Cell Summit
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: cancer fighting virus, lab-grown guts work in dogs, stem cell trial to cure HIV
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Cancer fighting virus approved for melanoma (Disclaimer: While this isn’t a story about stem cells, it’s pretty cool so I had to include it.) The … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: cancer fighting virus, lab-grown guts work in dogs, stem cell trial to cure HIV
New Video: Spinal Cord Injury and a CIRM-Funded Stem Cell-Based Trial
Just 31 years old, Richard Lajara thought he was going to die. On September 9, 2011 he slipped on some rocks at a popular swimming hole and was swept down a waterfall headfirst into a shallow, rocky pool of water. Though he survived, the fall left him paralyzed from the waist down due to a … Continue reading New Video: Spinal Cord Injury and a CIRM-Funded Stem Cell-Based Trial
CIRM-funded clinical trial for spinal cord injury reports promising results
Today, the Menlo Park-based biotech company Asterias Biotherapeutics reported positive results from the first three patients treated in its Phase 1/2a clinical study using stem cell therapy to treat patients with spinal cord injury. This trial is funded by a CIRM Strategic Partnerships Award grant of $14.3 million. Asterias has developed a stem cell therapy … Continue reading CIRM-funded clinical trial for spinal cord injury reports promising results
Pushing, pulling and dragging stem cell research forward
Government agencies are known for many things, but generally speaking a willingness to do some voluntary, deep self-examination is not one of them. However, for the last few weeks CIRM has been doing a lot of introspection as we develop a new Strategic Plan, a kind of road map for where we are heading. But … Continue reading Pushing, pulling and dragging stem cell research forward
Moving Beyond Current CIRM Funding
Delivering on CIRM’s mission of “accelerating stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs” requires the participation of multiple stakeholders to span the research, development, and commercialization phases of bringing a new product to market. In this post, I am pleased to highlight two recent examples of CIRM-funded projects moving beyond their period of … Continue reading Moving Beyond Current CIRM Funding
One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
One of the great privileges and pleasures of working at the stem cell agency is the chance to meet and work with some remarkable people, such as my colleagues here at CIRM and the researchers we support. But for me the most humbling, and by far the most rewarding experience, is having a chance to … Continue reading One man’s story points to hope against a deadly skin cancer
The Stem Cellar 