More on California Stem Cell Issues

More on California Stem Cell Issues

Monday there was an informal state legislative hearing in San Francisco on the state funded CIRM (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine) and the question of how taxpayers will get a “return on their investment.” According to the San Francisco Examiner, one proposal was for revenue sharing with state funded companies that develop successful treatment options, and one was for an agreement whereby the state can buy treatments cheaply from the companies it has funded. The first proposal could increase the interest on state bonds, costing the state another $690 million, and the second would be a loss if no treatments were developed. Another issue on the table is whether or not universities can patent and sell the results of their research, or will be obligated to give them to the CIRM and the state. The California Council on Science and Technology has recommended following the federal guidelines, which would allow universities to hold their own patents and get the commercial benefit from them. This recommendations is objected to by people who see it as breaking the promise to the voters of a return on their investment and also as decreasing the availability of stem cell treatment for the poor or uninsured. The story has also been reported in the Daily Review (and other InsideBayArea.com publications).

These are important issues to watch, since they will likely set the standard for any other states which create similar programs.