Protecting Patients

Stem Cells

Many Americans support stem cell research but are unwilling to give drug companies a blank taxpayer check to develop it without appropriate controls. About a dozen states have passed or are considering taxpayer subsidized programs for stem cell research. Proponents of California's Prop 71 stem cell program promised that all Californians would have access to new medical breakthroughs and that the state would receive royalties that would payback the public's investment.

The California stem cell oversight board, rife with conflicts-of-interests with private companies and universities seeking research grants, could make matters much worse if drug companies are allowed to control new medical technologies developed with taxpayer funds.

Read about Consumer Watchdog's work to make sure that the public receives a return on their investment. One entity, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), owns the patents to all human patents.

Read about Consumer Watchdog's efforts to remove roadblocks to research by stripping overreaching patents.

Recent Articles:

Controller's Stem Cell Agency Audit Ignores California Agency's Built-in Flaws

CONTACT: John M. Simpson, 310-392-0522, ext 317; cell: 310-292-1902
May 12, 2008

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Controller: Stem Cell Agency Passes Audit

By Staff Writers, SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS TIMES
May 12, 2008

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Community Colleges, Universities Asked to Join Stem Cell Program

By Bradley J. Fikes, NORTH COUNTY TIMES (San Diego, CA)
May 10, 2008

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Stem Cell Grants Being Doled Out

By Mary Engel, LOS ANGELES TIMES
May 7, 2008

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Wisconsin Stem Cell Industry Has Been Slow In Developing

By Joe Vanden Plas, WISCONSIN TECHNOLOGY NEWS
April 27, 2008

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Recent Posts in Protecting Patients:

Stem cell loan policy OK'd

May 13, 2008 | Posted by John M. Simpson

The stem cell agency's Biotech Loan Task Force approved a draft loan policy at its meeting last week and sent it on to the stem cell board's finance committee for...

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Before 'Big Oil U' Was 'Big Pharma U'

May 9, 2008 | Posted by Judy Dugan

Consumer Watchdog has protested strings-attached grants from Big Oil to universities, but the oil companies are just following the path of Big Pharma. Here, from the Century Foundation's Maggie Mahar and Niko Karvounis, is a concise history of legislation that opened the classroom door to drug companies--and even let cosmetic giant Shiseido control research agendas at Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital.  

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Rules, But No Cops

May 9, 2008 | Posted by Judy Dugan

When the federal government passes a law but has no cops to enforce it, the crooks hold a "get out of jail free" card. That's the unfortunate effect of a sweeping and successful effort by drug and insurance companies to have federal law "preempt" state enforcement. A spate of stories today (LA Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times) on new federal rules against insurance company abuses of Medicare recipients drives home the point.

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One board member gets it

May 9, 2008 | Posted by John M. Simpson

"All Californians are paying for Prop 71," said Dr. Claire Pomeroy, "so all should benefit from it."

Dr. Pomeroy is the Dean of the UC Davis Medical school and has a seat on the 29-member stem cell agency board of...

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Stem cell agency's conflicted board

May 8, 2008 | Posted by John M. Simpson

One of the the problems with the California stem cell agency's board is that it is fraught with conflicts of interest. It was, in fact, designed that way in Proposition 71 which voters...

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