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Category Archives: Stem Cell Therapy

Harvard's McMahon on His Way to USC


Andy McMahon
Harvard photo

The governing board of the California stem cell agency this afternoon approved a $5.7 million grant to lure a Harvard researcher to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

The scientist is Andrew McMahon, who serves on the executive committee of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. CIRM officials said McMahon is ready to begin his work immediately at USC.

McMahon won stellar reviews from CIRM's grant reviewers who said he was an “exceptional scientist and one of the leading young developmental biologists.” Reviewers gave his proposal a score of 90 and, in summary, said,

“Major strengths include the candidate's exceptional productivity and contributions to the fields of mammalian embryology and kidney development, the significance and potential of the research program, the PI's proven leadership capabilities, and the outstanding institutional commitment.”

Source:
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$18 Million Cedars Sinai ALS Proposal Headed for Approval


The California stem cell agency today
cleared the way for approval of an $18 million grant to develop a new
cell-based therapy for treatment of ALS.

The agency's governing board moved the
application into a category that is expected to approved later today.
The action came on an appeal by
researcher Clive Svendsen of Cedars Sinai. Also supporting the
application were a number of persons with ALS.

Source:
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StemCells, Inc., and Capricor Stave Off Rejection from Stem Cell Agency


Two California stem cell firms today
won a reprieve from rejection in their bids for $40 million in
funding from the California stem cell agency.

They are StemCells, Inc., of Newark
and Capricor, Inc. of Beverly Hills. StemCells was founded by
Stanford researcher Irv Weissman. Capricor was formed to
commercialize research at Cedars of Sinai that had been previously
financed in part by the state's $3 billion enterprise. Frank
Litvack, who unsuccessfully vied for the chairmanship of the stem
cell agency in June 2011, is the recently appointed executive
chairman of Capricor.
The CIRM board sent the firms' bids back for more scientific review based on
their appeals of reviewers' negative decisions as well as testimony
at the board meeting today. The board will take up the applications, which seek $20 million each, again in early September.

Robert Klein, who was the first
chairman of the stem cell agency, appeared before his old board as a
member of the public on behalf of the StemCells appeal. He said new
evidence will be published soon in a scientific journal that supports
the StemCells approach. Klein also said that he was personally
involved in three CIRM grant reviews in which scientists affirmed the
company's approach. (Here are links to the appeal and to grant reviewer comments.)
The other application also involved new
information. Litvack, former CEO of Conor Medsystem, told the board
the firm has made considerable progress since CIRM's closed-door
review of applications last April, both in terms of management and
science. The firm's appeal said Litvack's appointment is part of the
management improvements at the firm.
Sherry Lansing, a member of the CIRM
board and former CEO of a Hollywood film studio, enthusiastically
recalled a presentation last year before the board about the results
of the initial research. She the firm has solved the problems cited by reviewers. She said,

“We have a fiduciary responsibility
to select the best science.”

Source:
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Stem Cell Directors Order More Consideration on $20 Million UCLA Research Application


Directors of the California stem cell
agency today deferred action on a $20 million proposal that was
rejected by its grant reviewers and sent it back for more consideration. 

The move involved an application by
Stanley Nelson and M. Carrie Miceli of UCLA dealing with Duchenne
muscular dystrophy. They are parents of a child with the affliction,
which is usually fatal by age 25. The CIRM review summary said it is
“a devastating and incurable muscle-wasting disease caused by
genetic mutations in the gene that codes for dystrophin, a protein
that plays a key role in muscle cell health.”
Nelson had filed an appeal seeking to
overturn reviewers' action. Five  mothers and two fathers with
children suffering from the disease made emotional appeals to
CIRM directors on behalf of the application. Following their presentation, Art
Torres, co vice chairman of the CIRM board, responded equally
emotionally that the board is dedicated to finding therapies for such
afflictions as Duchenne muscular dystrophy
The board approved more review for the
application after it was disclosed that a company issued a press
release two days ago that showed that  a drug involved in the
proposal was more effective than reviewers believed. Philip Pizzo, a
member of the board and dean of the Stanford medical school,
expressed caution about the press release, given its timing and
source. His comments came prior to the appearance of the parents.
The application is scheduled to be
brought back to the full board in September for further action.

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Rejected Grants May Be Sent Back for More Review


California stem cell agency chairman J.T. Thomas has raised the possibility of sending some of the disease team applications back for additional review if the board feels that is necessary to consider new information and resolve scientific disputes. 

Thomas discussed such a move at the beginning of the discussion of the $243 million disease team round. Nine out of 15 rejected applicants have appealed to the full board.  Some have presented new information. Others have disputed the scientific work of reviewers. 
The board used such a referral process for one application in the past. That grant was ultimately approved.

Source:
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Short-term Borrowing to Continue to Provide California Stem Cell Cash


The California stem cell agency will continue to be funded with short-term borrowing -- commercial paper -- provided through the state treasurer's office, J.T. Thomas, chairman of the agency's governing board, said today. 

Until late last year, the $3 billion agency was funded through state bond funds, but California Gov. Jerry Brown is trying to reduce the state's long-term debt load, which has skyrocketed in the last decade. 
Thomas told directors this morning that short-term funding comes at "the lowest possible interest rate." He said the arrangement leaves the agency in "very good shape."
The state will provide the funding to CIRM on a month-to-month basis in addition to providing a two month cushion, Thomas said. 
At some point, the short-term debt is likely to covered by state bonds.  As of June 30, CIRM
had $50.9 million on hand, down $42 million from April 30. During the fiscal year ending June 30, the agency paid out $232.7 million compared to $201.4 million in the previous fiscal year. 

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