Thank you

Bob Klein These last few days have been interesting on so many levels. First the presidential race has kept the nation on tenterhooks. Closer to home the vote count for Proposition 14, to refunded CIRM, has been painstakingly slow (by the way, painstakingly means “with great care and thoroughness” for which we thank all the … Continue reading Thank you

Stem cell therapy for deadly childhood immune disorder goes four for four

The gold standard for any new therapy in the U.S. is approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This approval clears the therapy for sale and often also means it will be covered by insurance. But along the way there are other designations that can mean a lot to a company developing a new … Continue reading Stem cell therapy for deadly childhood immune disorder goes four for four

A model for success

Dr. Maria Millan, CIRM's President & CEO Funding models are rarely talked about in excited tones.  It’s normally relegated to the dry tomes of academia. But in CIRM’s case, the funding model we have created is not just fundamental to our success in advancing regenerative medicine in California, it’s also proving to be a model … Continue reading A model for success

Battling COVID and turning back the clock on stem cell funding

Coronavirus Battling the virus that causes COVID-19 is something that is top of everyone’s mind right now. That’s why CIRM is funding 17 different projects targeting the virus. But one of the most valuable tools in helping develop vaccines against a wide variety of diseases in the past is now coming under threat. We’ll talk … Continue reading Battling COVID and turning back the clock on stem cell funding

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

It’s official: the state of regenerative medicine is strong

A panel discussion to a packed house at the annual ARM State of the Industry briefing Calling it a “year of dramatic impact for patients” Janet Lambert, the CEO of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), gave the annual “State of the Industry” briefing today in San Francisco. The briefing is a traditional kick-off event … Continue reading It’s official: the state of regenerative medicine is strong

The podcast that sounds like a science thriller but for the patients involved is all too real

Laura Beil, writer and producer of the Bad Batch podcast As we get close to the end of the year there is no shortage of lists of the “best of the year” and even this year the “best of the decade”. But when it comes to podcasts it would be hard to think of a … Continue reading The podcast that sounds like a science thriller but for the patients involved is all too real

New Report Says CIRM Produces Big Economic Boost for California

An independent Economic Impact Report says the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has had a major impact on California’s economy, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in new taxes, and producing billions of dollars in additional revenue for the state. The report, done by Dan Wei and … Continue reading New Report Says CIRM Produces Big Economic Boost for California

When Google turns on you, you know you are in trouble

For years CIRM and others in the stem cell community (hello Paul Knoepfler) have been warning people about the dangers of going to clinics offering unproven and unapproved stem cell therapies. Recently the drum beat of people and organizations coming out in support of that stand has grown louder and louder. Mainstream media – TV … Continue reading When Google turns on you, you know you are in trouble

Getting the inside scoop on the stem cell agency

There’s a wonderful moment at the end of the movie The Candidate (starring Robert Redford, 87% approval on Rotten Tomatoes!) about a modern political campaign for a US Senate seat. Redford (spoiler alert) plays a come-from-behind candidate and at the end when he wins he turns to his campaign manager and says “Now what?”. I … Continue reading Getting the inside scoop on the stem cell agency