California Lawsuit Charges StemCells, Inc., with Putting Patients at Risk
By David Jensen,
California Stem Cell Report
| 07. 16. 2014
Untitled Document
A former senior manager at
StemCells, Inc., which holds a $19.4 million award from the California stem cell agency, has filed a lawsuit alleging that “deficiencies in the company's cell lines put patients at risk of infection or death during clinical trials.”
The charges were contained in a suit by
Rob Williams in Alameda County court,
according to an article on Courthouse News Service written by
Elizabeth Warmerdam. Williams is suing for wrongful termination, retaliation and violation of the California False Claims Act.
According to the article, the complaint said that StemCells, Inc., of Newark, Ca., says its stem cells are safe for human transplantation. Warmerdam continued,
“Williams says he was hired as the company's senior manager of manufacturing in December 2013 to oversee its manufacturing facility, where stem cell cultures are cultivated for use in clinical trials.
“'Shortly after beginning his employment, plaintiff noted poor sterile technique, failure to adhere to current Good Manufacturing Practices in the company's manufacturing process, and substantial deficiencies in the company's Manual Aseptic Processing of HuCNS-SC (Human Central Nervous System...
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