Advanced Cell Technology (ACT; stock symbol ACTC) announced that it has secured $35 million in funding from investment company, Lincoln Park Capital. The press release quotes CEO Gary Rabin: “We are most pleased about this financing agreement, as it has a number of notable benefits for the company,” commented Gary Rabin, chairman and CEO of […]
Stem Cell Biotech Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) gets $35 million Read More »
There are legitimate arguments about the degree to which the FDA should regulate stem cell clinics and the point-of-care, for-profit stem cell industry. I’ve held debates about that on my blog with argument on both sides including a very valuable debate between Dr. Chris Centeno and Doug Sipp. However, increasingly it is looking like the
As stem cell industry explodes, can a static FDA keep up? Read More »
Yesterday, UC Davis Professor, Simon Chan, passed away. You can read more about Simon and the touching comments of many friends and colleagues of his here. When I heard the news, I felt like my heart stopped and I couldn’t breathe for a moment. How was this possible? It seems unreal. Ever since that moment
A tribute to UC Davis Professor, Simon Chan Read More »
Mitt Romney announced on Saturday that his running mate would be Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Ryan is a handsome, charming guy who American’s can tell already is much more at ease campaigning than Romney. However, Ryan’s voting record is extremely troubling and far from charming. In fact, it is downright ugly. The Chronicle of
Meet the real, not so charming Paul Ryan: an extremist out of touch with most Americans Read More »
Is blogging for scientists a good idea? With my concise advice below, you should be ready to get started. I say, “Go for it!” I know there are quite a lot of people interested in starting to blog, but perhaps a bit uncertain or even intimidated by the idea. I think this is especially true
Top ten tips for blogging for scientists Read More »
Are stem cells drugs? At least for today, a federal court unambiguously ruled that the answer to this question for manipulated stem cells is “Yes”. The story has been reported in the media at New Scientist and Scope Blog. You can read over the key issues here. The court ruled in favor of the federal government and FDA and against
Court empowers FDA to regulate stem cells as drugs Read More »
“I lied to patients,” testified a weeping, young woman in court related to a fraud allegation involving stem cells. She had worked as an office assistant at a company that injected bogus and potentially dangerous cow-based “stem cell” treatments into human patients. This company, which in different incarnations went by various names including Biomark in
Testimony in supermodel stem cell fraud case: “I lied to patients” Read More »
A Korean stem cell clinic has been sued. For the first time to my knowledge, patients have sued a dubious stem cell clinic (RNL Bio) for fraud. As one stem cell expert has put it (see below), now there is “blood in the water”. RNL Bio of Korea has reportedly (hat tip to Leigh Turner) just been
Korean stem cell clinic sued by patients in U.S. for fraud: RNL Bio Read More »
Celltex is that adult stem cell company that treated Governor Perry and upwards of 80 other people with stem cell products that they grew in their lab in Texas. I wonder what the leadership of Celltex is thinking right now about its FDA audit, their future, and that pesky professor/blogger in California…what’s his name? I
Celltex has issued a press release (PR), entitled “Company Pioneering Regenerative Medicine Services Invited FDA to Inspect Lab” on their FDA audit in response to the reaction in the media and stem cell community about it. I view this PR as a step in the right direction–more openness! There is a lot of info in