Category Archives: Stem Cell Therapy

Here is the text of the key comments
from the California stem cell agency in response to questions from
the California Stem Cell Report (CSCR) concerning the $21,630
contribution by Robert Klein. Here is a link to the full story on the matter.

“Is CIRM concerned about the
appearance created by the donation from Bob Klein to enable scientific
staff to attend the ISSCR meeting in Yokohoma, coming one
month after the GWG (the review group) rejected StemCells Inc's Alzheimer's application
and one month before the July Board meeting that led to the approval
of the award?”(Editor's note: It was actually two months before the board meeting.)

“No, the two items are entirely
separate with no connection. Item 1  involved Bob Klein making a
donation to allow science officers to attend a critically important
scientific meeting on stem cell research.  The science officers
 had originally planned on attending but then were told they
could not because of cuts in our out-of-state travel budget – Bob
Klein’s donation, without using state funds, enabled the science
officers to attend.  Item 2 is an ICOC decision to fund a
research project that they felt had promise and was important for the
people of California.”

“Under the Gift Policy, the President
had the authority to accept Mr. Klein’s generous offer as a 'Direct
payment or reimbursement by third parties for the costs of general
operation or grant management administrative activities.' (Gift
Policy, Sec. III(A)(2).)  Because CIRM receives gifts only
infrequently, CIRM staff determined that it would be more efficient
to report gifts to the Board on a semi-annual basis.  Mr.
Klein’s donation was the first gift CIRM had received in some
years.  Due to the lack of additional donations, a transition in
CIRM’s finance office, and an oversight, CIRM staff has not yet
presented a report including Mr. Klein’s gift.  Staff plans to
report Mr. Klein’s gift as part of the finance report at the May
Board meeting.  Because the President had the authority to
accept the gift pursuant to section III(A)(2) of the Gift Policy, it
did not require a commitment letter.  (See Gift Policy, Sec.
III(C)(1) ['A Commitment Letter is not required for gifts described
under III.A.2., 3. and 4.'].)  However, consistent with the
policy, Dr. Trounson sent Mr. Klein a letter of appreciation, a copy
of which we have already provided you.”

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/dQImAqKe0Ys/the-klein-donation-text-of-stem-cell.html

Here is the text of comments from
Robert Klein, former chairman of the California stem cell agency,
concerning his $21,630 donation to the agency and subsequent actions
by the agency. Klein's comments May 1 came in response to questions
from the California Stem Cell Report(CSCR) on April 30. The text of
the inquiry from CSCR precedes Klein's response. Here is a link to the story on the matter.

"I have sent the following to CIRM
asking for their response and am offering the same opportunity to
you. Here is what I sent the agency:
'The documents that I have received so
far show that after Klein gave CIRM $21,000 the agency instructed six
of its science officers to give him special access to their
activities and apparently did not object to additional instructions
from another member of the public, Melissa King, to provide Klein and
her with written summaries about their activities at the ISSCR
convention and “details” about their work at CIRM. Email
addresses of the six were also provided to Klein, who may have
additionally received their cell phone numbers although that is not
entirely clear. The CIRM documents show that the six were told to
engage in one-on-one sessions with Klein, which actually included a
third person, a wealthy Canadian mining company executive. One
document indicates that the science officers should assist in
fundraising for CIRM by identifying areas of “special importance”
to Klein and 'other donors.'
"'Additionally, Alan Trounson, at
Klein's request, invited the mining executive to a closed door
session involving the agency's international partners, a session at
which presumably valuable, little known scientific information would
be discussed and future directions charted. Trounson specifically
told the executive that it was Klein who asked that executive be
invited to the session, adding to Klein's clout in any business or
other dealings that Klein might have with the executive.'

My questions to CIRM deal with the
special treatment that was provided in connection with your donation.
I would ask you if you think that state agencies should provide this
sort of extraordinary treatment for individuals who donate to the
agency. At the very least, doesn't this raise questions about the
integrity of the agency and doubts in the public mind about whether
it can be fair and even-handed in its activities?

"In April or May of 2012 I committed
to contribute a charitable donation to CIRM to cover the travel costs
for 5-7 additional science officers to attend the International Stem
Cell Conference in Japan.  It is important to CIRM that their
science officers understand the cutting edge research being developed
around the world so that CIRM does not fund redundant research; but,
to the contrary, the science officers understand how to create
networks between California scientists and scientists in other
foreign countries who are doing complementary research that can
potentially accelerate the advancements of therapies for patients. I
do not hold any financial interest in biotech companies. I have
historically been involved in encouraging international collaboration
to advance medical therapies; for patients, every day of delay in the
development of a therapy is a delay they cannot afford. To
conceptually document the value of additional scientists traveling to
these meetings, it was discussed that there should be conceptual,
bullet point summaries about the value for CIRM obtained through the
scientists discussions at the international conference.  The
idea was to create bullet points of information about a few of the
most meaningful scientific concepts and contacts the science officers
benefitted from each day of attendance at the conference. I did not
participate in the selection of the science officers who attended and
I did not play any part in determining what activities they
participated in. There were two fundamental goals to the very short
one-on-one sessions that were arranged at "down time" that
would not conflict with their other activities. The first goal was to
conceptually understand if each of the science officers believed that
the benefit to the agency was sufficient to justify the cost of their
attending, when considering the learning and contacts they had gained
which might accelerate research and therapies for patients. The
second goal was to assist universities and non-profits, principally
in Canada - a research partner of CIRM - in advancing their
contributions from an existing donor or donors.

"The Canadian mining executive had an
important history in contributing to the International Stem Cell
Society and to Canadian non-profit research institutions. This
individual has an expert background in mining and a passionate
personal commitment to medical research; but, he does not engage in
technical discussions of research. On a conceptual basis it was
important for him to understand the spectrum of medical advances
towards therapies. His additional contributions to Canadian
non-profits could assist Canada in collaborating with California on
more international research, with California only funding the
research done in California and the donor helping to fund the
research done in Canada. No specific grant applications were
discussed. Finally, the discussion with the international partners
focuses on the funding process and funding collaboration it does not
discuss any individual grants. The value of international
collaboration and the benefits of collaborating with new
international partners is discussed. Scientific theories and
individual grants are not discussed and new scientific information is
not presented. I attended this session of international partners to
support international collaboration; again, I do not hold any
financial interest in any biotech organizations. Additionally, I do
not have any business or financial relationship with the Canadian
mining executive. The Canadian executive, based upon family and
friends who have had chronic disease, is a significant donor to
non-profit research institutions in Canada. All of my activities, the
donation and the encouragement to develop information to validate the
future benefits of science officers traveling to international stem
cell conferences were focused on benefitting California patients with
chronic illness or injury and the agency formed through Proposition
71."

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/SBGFem2qPWo/the-klein-donation-text-of-robert.html

Here is the text of the initial
response from Robert Klein, chairman of the California stem
cell agency until July 2011, to questions from the California Stem Cell Report (CSCR)
concerning his $21,630 donation to the agency. The questions posed by
CSCR on precede the response by Klein. Here is a link to a story on
the matter.

“Why did you give the agency the
money?
“Did you place on conditions on its
use?
“Did anyone connected with the agency
indicate in advance  that your donation would be desired? If so
who? Who did you deal with primarily on the donation -- Trounson,
Thomas or...?
“The donation came one month after
grant reviewers rejected StemCells Inc.'s Alzheimer's application. Do
you think it was appropriate to make the donation and then ask the
board twice to override its reviewers?
“Do you think the donation and
subsequent action on StemCells, Inc.'s Alzheimer's application will
negatively color the perception of future efforts by CIRM at private
fundraising?”

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/57qJcfMUql0/the-klein-donation-text-of-robert_5.html

Here is the email that Melissa King, an aide to Robert Klein, sent to the six science officers from the California stem cell agency. King was executive director of the CIRM governing board when Klein was chairman of the agency from 2004 to July 2011. Here is link to the story involving Klein's $21,630 gift to the agency.

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/4fqob6pGa2A/the-klein-donation-memo-from-klein-aide.html

The California stem cell agency today
said that it has awarded $458 million to fund research involving
human embryonic stem cells (hESC) out of a total of $1.8 billion it
has given away during the past eight years.

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/iQOiBLaIRNc/hesc-research-totals-458-million-out-of.html

The California stem cell agency this
month received what some might consider a gesture of approval from a
longtime foe – LifeNews.com.

“CIRM has been steadily moving away
from its original mission to give preferential
treatment to funding for human embryonic stem cell research
(hESCR). Instead, after adopting a renewed
emphasis on translating research into clinical trials, CIRM
has more and more shifted the bulk of its grants towards funding
research utilizing adult stem cells and other alternatives to hESCR,
such as induced
pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).”

“(T)he lack, once again, of funding
for hESCR only serves to highlight how old and dated that approach to
finding treatments and cures increasingly seems.”

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/hxYse4K5TpU/praise-for-california-stem-cell-agency.html

The California stem cell agency today
said that it has awarded $458 million to fund research involving
human embryonic stem cells (hESC) out of a total of $1.8 billion it
has given away during the past eight years.

Source:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/uqpFc/~3/iQOiBLaIRNc/hesc-research-totals-458-million-out-of.html