FDA Could Delay Adult Stem Cell Breakthroughs

destinyland writes "A Colorado medical advocate says, 'The FDA contends that if one cultures stem cells at all...then it's a prescription drug,' in arguing that revolutionary new treatments could be delayed by 20 years — even using cells extracted from your own body. According to the FDA, even therapies that simply re-inject your body's adult stem cells could be prohibited without five years of clinical trials and millions of dollars of research. How useful are cultured stem cells? 'In animal models, they routinely cure diabetes.'"

Comments

Re:drats

[AHuxley]

Gunboat diplomacy for the IP age. Now FCC, FDA and the FTC will be pounding your coast.
The DIA will be messing with your hinterlands.
The CIA will be in your mind.
Move to a part of the world where you can set up a lab, hire bright young things and pull the next few decades closer.

Re:See you in Thailand, Mexico, or India.

[jcr]

Thalidomide was before my time, but I'm familiar with the case. The real tragedy of thalidomide is that it gave the FDA the power to keep many other drugs off the market; drugs which can and do save lives for years or even decades in Europe before the FDA allows them to be used here.

-jcr