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Category: Stem cells regulation

stem cell mis-regulation

Texas stem cell legislative battle goes down to the wire, but alas, it’s less the meets the eye

Texas stem cell legislative battle goes down to the wire, but alas, it’s less the meets the eye

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Under current law, it is illegal for patients to have their own stems cells removed, cultured/expanded and reinjected. That’s too bad because there are plenty of instances where this treatment seems to be helping patients with incurable chronic diseases such as MS. Patients who want this type of treatment have to go abroad, usually either Mexico or Panama. That’s quite burdensome for some, given their medical problems. Texas MS Patients to the Rescue, (maybe) During the current Texas legislative session,…

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ALL’S MOSTLY QUIET ON THE FDA FRONT, but don’t expect that to last now that there’s a New FDA Commissioner

ALL’S MOSTLY QUIET ON THE FDA FRONT, but don’t expect that to last now that there’s a New FDA Commissioner

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It seems like forever ago since the FDA’s 2015-2016 attempt to increase its regulatory powers, or more pointedly, since the FDA regulatory thugs have tried to dramatically restrict the personal freedom of US citizens. The good news is that most of the major proposed changes are still up in the air. The not-so-good news is that now that the FDA has a new commissioner (Scott Gottleib was confirmed by the Senate on April, 27, 2017), I’m expecting things to happen,…

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Game Changing the Stem Cell Debate

Game Changing the Stem Cell Debate

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It’s been almost a month since the FDA’s two day hearing on the draft guidance documents on autologous stem cells. Here is the short version of what happened: The stem cell research industry, meaning the basic scientists and academic physicians employed at big institutions, and their acronym organizations like the draft guidances. They agree with the FDA that non-homologous, (roughly meaning therapeutic as opposed to replacement) autologous (i.e. my) stem cells (or any kind of autologous tissue or “HCT/P’s”) should…

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THE SCARIEST ATTACK ON PERSONAL FREEDOM YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF/ THE BIG TAKEWAY: If the FDA gets its way, the most popular post mastectomy breast reconstruction procedure will become illegal, and so will many other life enhancing procedures

THE SCARIEST ATTACK ON PERSONAL FREEDOM YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF/ THE BIG TAKEWAY: If the FDA gets its way, the most popular post mastectomy breast reconstruction procedure will become illegal, and so will many other life enhancing procedures

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Using your own stem cells, tissue and body parts without FDA interference should be a no brainer and a slam dunk, but it isn’t. I mean it’s your own body. How can the federal government interfere with your privacy and autonomy right to use parts of your own body as a treatment? The short answer is they can and if the FDA gets its way, future patients are not going to be able to use their own cells and tissue…

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FDA Draft Stem Cell Guidance Documents Exposed as Improper Rulemaking, Bad Science and Heartless Public Policy

FDA Draft Stem Cell Guidance Documents Exposed as Improper Rulemaking, Bad Science and Heartless Public Policy

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Today was a good day for people who want continued access stem cells outside of clinic trials, and also for people who want the FDA to allow faster access to this promising technology. There was a wide spectrum of opinions. Some stem cell companies involved in clinical trials wanted the non-clinical trials clinics shut down. But at least there were representatives from some of these “unproven” clinics and interest groups who made some important points about the rights of patients…

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More on The FDA’s Stem Cell Public “Workshop”: Stem Cell Clinical Trials aren’t the Answer for Everyone

More on The FDA’s Stem Cell Public “Workshop”: Stem Cell Clinical Trials aren’t the Answer for Everyone

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Not unexpectedly, the organizing theme of the FDA’s Stem Cell workshop  was that patients should only be able to receive their own stem cells for non-homologous use in FDA approved clinical trials until FDA marketing approval (i.e., until a New Drug Application is granted for some non-homologous use). I’ve been involved in legal/policy issues relating to clinical trials for a long time. I understand that clinical trials is the standard of care for patients when FDA approved treatments (on or…

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The most important question at the FDA Stem Workshop was the one not asked

The most important question at the FDA Stem Workshop was the one not asked

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I didn’t hear the first couple of presentations in the FDA’s Stem Cell workshop. However, I did listen from mid-morning to Dr. Irv Weisman’s closing.  Yesterday’s post was my take on the highlights.  http://rickjaffeesq.com/2016/09/08/really-tough-day-stem-cell-advocates/ Upon reflection, what is disturbing to me is what I didn’t hear, namely a discussion or even a mention of what I think should have been the most important question in the autologous stem cell public policy debate: whether autologous stem cell transplants should be treated…

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A Really Tough Day for Stem Cell Advocates

A Really Tough Day for Stem Cell Advocates

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The FDA’s Stem Cell “Workshop” just ended, and if you’re a person who wants continued access to stem cell therapies outside of clinical trials (or a transplanter of “unproven stem cell therapy”), it was a very depressing day. It was way worse than I had feared in my post yesterday.  http://rickjaffeesq.com/2016/09/07/fda-stem-cell-meetings-close-hand-stakeholders-sides-worried-one-side-really-worried/ Sure the two ethicists said that it was wrong and unethical to provide unproven stem cell therapy except in FDA sanctioned clinical trials. But the real punch came from…

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FDA Stem Cell Meetings Close at Hand: Stakeholders on Both Sides are Worried, but One Side Should be Really Worried.

FDA Stem Cell Meetings Close at Hand: Stakeholders on Both Sides are Worried, but One Side Should be Really Worried.

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Next Monday and Tuesday, September 12 and 13th is a widely acknowledged big day in the stem cell world; it’s the two day public hearing on the FDA’s four draft guidance documents.  (Here is a link to the FDA’s announcement. http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/NewsEvents/WorkshopsMeetingsConferences/ucm462125.htm.  The entire event will be live broadcast via a link on this FDA page. The draft guidances are a big deal because, as I’ve said before,  http://rickjaffeesq.com/2016/04/21/stemcells/,  they will make illegal almost all autologous cell transplants outside of FDA…

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Are all these anti-patients’ rights laws necessary for autologous stem cell transplants?

Are all these anti-patients’ rights laws necessary for autologous stem cell transplants?

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  A long time ago as a first semester law student, I took the “Legal Method” course on how to read cases, the rules of statutory construction, and generally the analytic tools which lawyers use to analyze the law. I still remember the professor explaining how sometimes a law is created which makes sense when created, but the reason for the law is later eliminated, but the law continues.  He gave the example of the old English common law rule…

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