The Bee: Kudos to CIRM

The Sacramento Bee has been one of the toughest critics of the California stem cell agency, taking it to task for everything from salaries to ethics.

But this past weekend, the newspaper editorialized very favorably about the agency's proposed policy on how to divide up the booty from CIRM-financed inventions.

The Bee wrote:

"Not long ago, certain biotech leaders and university officials were urging California's $3 billion stem cell institute to renege on a promise to return royalties to the state. An outcry erupted from watchdog groups, Democratic state Sen. Deborah Ortiz of Sacramento and others.
Apparently, the institute listened."

The Bee continued:

"Some questions remain on how the state would enforce all of these policies. Even so, they represent a good-faith effort by the institute to listen and respond to public concerns. Kudos to Ed Penhoet, who led the task force and co-chairs the institute's oversight committee. Ortiz and others also deserve credit."