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INSTITUTIONS GETTING GRANTS HAVE LINKS TO INDUSTRY Given drug company ties to universities and other institutions likely to get grants under California's $3 billion stem-cell program, taxpayers need assurances they'll benefit from any products developed from the research, a consumer group urged Wednesday.
The stem-cell program, created by Proposition 71 last year, is not expected to begin issuing research money until next year. But based on grants the program handed out two weeks ago to train students in stem-cell fundamentals, the public has cause for concern, according to the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
Of the 16 institutions that received those training grants, the group said, 13 have received money from drug companies, have board members who work for biomedical companies or have other industry links. The universities included UC-Berkeley, UC-San Francisco and Stanford.
That raises fears that the stem-cell effort could wind up benefiting private companies at taxpayers' expense. Unless the state requires that drugs developed by stem-cell researchers and their affiliated companies be affordable, ``the drug companies will charge whatever they want,'' warned Jerry Flanagan...
The stem-cell program, created by Proposition 71 last year, is not expected to begin issuing research money until next year. But based on grants the program handed out two weeks ago to train students in stem-cell fundamentals, the public has cause for concern, according to the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
Of the 16 institutions that received those training grants, the group said, 13 have received money from drug companies, have board members who work for biomedical companies or have other industry links. The universities included UC-Berkeley, UC-San Francisco and Stanford.
That raises fears that the stem-cell effort could wind up benefiting private companies at taxpayers' expense. Unless the state requires that drugs developed by stem-cell researchers and their affiliated companies be affordable, ``the drug companies will charge whatever they want,'' warned Jerry Flanagan...