For a patient advocate's take on legislation aimed at ensuring affordable access to CIRM-financed therapies, take a gander at the May 13 posting by Don Reed on his blog, stemcellbattles.com. Earlier this week, Reed (see photo) was the only person to testify before the state Senate Appropriations Committee on the measure, aside from the bill's author, Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica.
Reed's view is that CIRM's regulations, which can be easily changed unilaterally by CIRM, are sufficient to provide affordability. He also contends that an outside study of CIRM's structure is unnecessary and that its built-in conflicts are only a "convergence of expertise." We should note that last week most of the experts on the panel were barred by law from even discussing -- much less voting on -- $271 million in grants because of their conflicts of interest.
Reed is a regular at meetings of the board of directors of the stem cell agency and is vice president for public policy for Americans for Cures, the private advocacy group directed by CIRM Chairman Robert Klein.
Kuehl's bill, SB 1565, was approved 14-0 by the committee and is now on the Senate floor. In addition to codifying in state law affordable access, the measure would require an independent study of CIRM by a state agency known as the Little Hoover Commission with recommendations for reform.
A note on the analysis from the Appropriations Committee says that the Little Hoover staff contends that the legislature does not have the legal authority to direct its work. An opinion as been requested from the Legislative Counsel's office on the question. However, the Legislative Counsel works for the legislature and is inclined to find ways for lawmakers to do what they want.
Here is a link to the floor analysis available to California state senators as they consider the measure.
(Editor's note: After this item was posted, we learned that the bill passed the Senate on Thursday on a 40-0 vote. It nows goes to the Assembly.)
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