$61 Million Approved for Stem Cell Clinical Trials

Directors of the California stem cell agency today handed out $61 million in its ambitious disease team program that is designed to push stem cell research into clinical trials.

Action on the six awards followed yesterday's move by the board to set aside $200 million to beef up its efforts for stage one and two clinical trials. The agency is focusing ever more intently on commercializing its research.

The $3 billion program is expected to run out of cash for new grants in 2017. Its efforts to develop a new stream of funding depend a great deal on showing results that resonate with the public and possible funding sources.

This grant round was originally budgeted for $100 million, but directors today were loath to approve additional funding. They noted that the agency is now living an era of financial limits.

Today's awards are aimed at cancer (three grants), sickle cell anemia, macular degeneration and severe airway obstruction. Size of the awards ranges from $20 million to $4.4 million. Terms range up to four years.

The agency did not immediately release the names of the winners, in keeping with its policy of secrecy until after the board votes. However, the names of the applicants could be determined by a knowledgeable person searching articles in the various fields. A CIRM news release is expected shortly with the names of the researchers and institutions. (Here is a link to the press release. All of the recipients are employed at institutions represented on the governing board.)

Thirteen applications, including one from a business, were considered by reviewers.

Here are links to the information provided by CIRM staff on the grant applications: summaries of the grant reviews, staff justification for funding tier two applications, Power Point presentations to be made to directors on the applications, including the range of scores on individual applications. However, the range of scores on the rejected applications was not provided.