CGS-authored
A new controversy is gripping stem-cell science as California funds efforts with what critics consider little regard for ensuring the products of publicly funded research will benefit the public as a whole.
May 8 _ Despite a court victory over conservative fundamentalists, California's plunge into the highly publicized, relatively unexplored realm of stem-cell research still faces criticism, and not just from the religious right. Groups that support stem-cell research are warning that the state's massive research-funding plan is not immune to narrow interest groups that could undermine the potential public-health benefits.
Critics caution the government against rushing to fund projects without first implementing strong protections for patients and consumers.
"The thing that we're most interested in is making sure the public-benefit promises that were made actually are kept, and that just this doesn't end up being a way of dumping a lot of money in biotech's pockets with no direct benefit for the people," said John Simpson of the consumer-advocacy group Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR).
With $3 billion in taxpayer bonds earmarked for stem-cell research at its...
May 8 _ Despite a court victory over conservative fundamentalists, California's plunge into the highly publicized, relatively unexplored realm of stem-cell research still faces criticism, and not just from the religious right. Groups that support stem-cell research are warning that the state's massive research-funding plan is not immune to narrow interest groups that could undermine the potential public-health benefits.
Critics caution the government against rushing to fund projects without first implementing strong protections for patients and consumers.
"The thing that we're most interested in is making sure the public-benefit promises that were made actually are kept, and that just this doesn't end up being a way of dumping a lot of money in biotech's pockets with no direct benefit for the people," said John Simpson of the consumer-advocacy group Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR).
With $3 billion in taxpayer bonds earmarked for stem-cell research at its...