CHI Applauds President Obama's Expansion Of Federal Funding For Stem Cell Research

Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 11 Mar 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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The California Healthcare Institute (CHI) lauded President Barack Obama's Executive Order to allow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund research using embryonic stem cells. The NIH was previously able to fund research only on a very limited number of stem cell lines.

"Saving and improving lives through medical innovation is the ultimate goal of the life sciences industry, and its greatest benefit to humankind. CHI enthusiastically supports President Obama's decision to allow the NIH to fund stem cell research," said David Gollaher, Ph.D., president and CEO of CHI. "CHI believes that stem cell research holds great promise for breakthrough, novel therapies and, one day, cures for millions of patients in the U.S. and around the world who suffer from dread diseases and conditions such as spinal cord injuries, blindness, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and others.

"California has been on the leading edge in stem cell research since the passage of Proposition 71 in 2004 and the development of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). With the recent infusions in research dollars to the National Institutes of Health in President Obama's stimulus package, and now the lifting of the research ban, California is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity to advance important, life-saving research.

"Today's action to expand NIH funding of stem cell research is a welcome and critical stepâ€"one that shows this administration's willingness to base its decisions on sound science. But stem cell research has a long way to go before it can deliver on the promise of cures for critical unmet medical needs," said Gollaher. "To realize the promise of stem cell research and the intent of the millions of California voters who overwhelming passed Proposition 71, new medicines must be commercialized and used to treat patients. Policies need to reward medical innovation and minimize barriers to technology transfer to encourage the speedy delivery of new treatments derived from stem cell research.

"CHI will continue to work diligently with legislators to develop public policies that advance biomedical science, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device innovation in California," Gollaher concluded.

About California Healthcare Institute

CHI represents more than 250 leading biotechnology, medical device, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical companies, and public and private academic biomedical research organizations. CHI's mission is to advance responsible public policies that foster medical innovation and promote scientific discovery.

California Healthcare Institute

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