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| Randy Mills (pink tie) and three CIRM directors following today's meeting. Left to right, Francisco Prieto, a Sacramento physician. Mills, Jeff Sheehy, a communications manager at UC San Francisco, and Ken Burtis, a genetics professor at UC Davis California Stem Cell Report photo |
The appointment of Randy Mills, former
CEO of a Maryland stem cell firm, attracted quick attention today
from the mainstream media as well as the scientific press.
Here is a sample of the coverage as of
early evening Wednesday California time.
Kelly Servick of the journal Science
wrote,
“Under Mills’ leadership, Columbia, Maryland-based Osiris became the first company to receive regulatory approval for a stem cell drug. Canadian regulators in 2012 approved Prochymal to treat complications from bone marrow transplants. 'We need something like that to happen with some of our projects,' says (Jeff) Sheehy (a member of the CIRM governing board).
“The board’s choice 'reflects an evolution of CIRM and how they look at themselves,' says Michael May, CEO of the Centre for Commercialization and Regenerative Medicine in Toronto, who in 2012 served on an Institute of Medicine panel tasked with reviewing CIRM’s structure and policies. 'The message is [one of] being more business-like.' Mills is viewed as a pioneer in the stem cell industry, May adds, and may help cultivate partnerships that support CIRM as it looks for new potential funding sources.”
Bradley Fikes of the San Diego U-T
reported,
“Biotech reporter Adam Feuerstein dinged Mills last May for claiming Prochymal was the most widely used stem cell drug in the world, when it actually had no sales.
"'Mills has a different definition of 'widely used' than most investors,' Feuerstein wrote.
"Osiris sold Prochymal and the rest of its stem cell business in October to Australia-based Mesoblast for up to $100 million; $50 million in cash and stock and up to an additional $50 million in milestone payments.”
Monte Morin and Eryn Brown of the Los
Angeles Times quoted CIRM Chairman Jonathan Thomas as saying Mills
will “bring a fresh set of eyes and will help work with our staff
on our directions going forward.”
Natalie Sherman of the Baltimore Sun
and Erin Allday of the San Francisco Chronicle noted that Mills was
part of the large panel of scientists who make the virtually all the
decisions on funding grant applications. Chris Rauber of the San
Francisco Business Times also had a story.
The agency's press release can be found here.
The California Stem Cell Report will carry an item tomorrow on additional coverage that is likely to surface.
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