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

Friend or Foe not relevant....

[rts008]

There have been many times I have been tempted to mark you as 'foe' on /.
I have refrained strictly because of a few 'similar posts' of yours[similar as to this one].
I realise that it probably does not matter to you in the least whether I mark you as friend or foe.
The only reason/s I even bring this up is this/these:

My objection is not to that position; but to the special pleading with which TFS and TFA are laced. "I think that the FDA is wrong/illegal/unethical" is a perfectly coherent and respectable position. "I think that my area of interest should be excluded from FDA oversight because OMG even your own stem cells!!!" is just specious.

I agree 100% with that, but I feel you are 'cherry-picking' and 'twisting/spinning' to suit your point of view.

Okay, trash all of that above! I have reviewed, revised, and have rewritten my opinion and reply....

I mis-understood, and 'knee-jerked' the above reply. The reason I left it 'as is' was to allow you to see my faulty thought-progression/deductive reasoning failure. I consider it a learning experience, and I post this as 'F/OSS'.

My point was simply that stem cells, even the patient's own, are subject to legitimate questions of safety and efficacy to at least the same extent as other drugs, and to a greater extent than many. Either no drugs should be under the FDA's purview, or stem cells deserve to be. Either option is a fine position. I just don't like "FDA in general is fine; but stem cells are special for some poorly defined and irrelevant reason".

I am pretty sure this paragraph is what sparked my 'knee-jerk'. I have read it, and re-read it, and I am still wanting to :

1. "Proclaim: Amen, Brother!"
2. "Down with the Man! Up with Freedom!" (note: please tone down the 'hippie' quotient here, as I am not one)
3. WTF?
4. I don't get it, but I don't think I agree
5. You are nuts!

I am feeling a 'complete disconnect' here, so I will respectfully ask for some clarity.

I do not have a problem with:
cloning,
genetics,
research with DNA,
stem cell research(adult, or embryo)
cyberpunk[with a 'grain of salt']

Just stated to give you some parameters to define my query. (note:I have been drinking, so I may be verbose!)

Vindication, Verification, Validation, or hit with a 'clue bat', I'm not sure what I'm heading for here. :-)