California's Alpha Stem Cell Clinics: Open in 2014, Six to Eight Locations

The San Francisco Business Times yesterday said that the first Alpha Clinic sponsored by the $3 billion California stem cell agency could open as early as 2014.

The timing was disclosed by CIRM President Alan Trounson in an article by Ron Leuty, who also reported that that Trounson's $70 million proposal (see here and here) would involve as many as six to eight clinics. The locations of the clinics was not disclosed and would be subject to a competitive RFA. However, Leuty's piece mentioned UC San Francisco and Stanford.

The article also said initial treatments might focus on eye disease, “brain therapies” and spinal cord injuries.

The Alpha Clinic plan is scheduled to come before the CIRM board in late July. The proposal is aimed at speeding stem cell treatments and creating something of a one-stop shopping experience for patients.

Once the CIRM board approves the concept, an RFA will be issued and interested institutions will have to submit bids and compete for funding.  

$70 Million Alpha Stem Cell Clinic Proposal Draws Reader Comment

In addition to the comments filed online in connection with the $70 million proposal to create Alpha Clinics in California for stem cell treatments,  two other readers commented privately in emails. 

One came from a close observer of the stem cell agency who said, “If done right -- and I'm sure you and I agree that is a big 'if' – it could be an outstanding legacy.”

The other comment came from a physician-researcher at a major California institution and was longer and more critical. Here is the text.

“Another boondoggle for some medical schools but made to order for private operators like for profit cancer, dialysis, and laser eye specialty clinics that do one procedure.  I can see each of the medical schools gifted with one as they each were gifted with about 25 million dollars for stem cell institute buildings; and CIRM and (Irv) Weissman's companies like Stem Cells, Inc., getting a piece of the action as well.  Of course the deans and chancellors on the CIRM steering committee will vote for it. How can they not? It's money in their pockets.

“This has the fit and feel of, say, old Latin American Laetrile clinics or offshore clinics offering suspect surgeries or injections for cancers, Parkinson's disease, and the like.  It makes no difference that they are set up in California.  CIRM will pay for an unneeded infrastructure that will be empty space and staff sitting on their hands 99% of the time.  Or worse yet, CIRM will pay but the space will be used for other things, other clinic procedures paid for by insurance.  

“Now (CIRM President Alan) Trounson and CIRM want to get into the medical tourism business making California a 'go-to place' for stem cell treatments.  They want to start with bone marrow injections and transplants, procedures that cancer centers do regularly.  All CIRM needs is a drug or treatment.  It's not like there are tons of drugs out there and the only barrier is the lack of clinical space and capacity.  The start up time for any one drug is very long.

“NIH at various times has tried to organize clinical trials groups with infrastructure, like quick reaction forces, ready to gear up for a new trial at the drop of a hat. They mainly did nothing but suck money, kept staff employed, because there are generally few drugs ready for early human trials and each treatment that is brought along requires a unique contract, ethics reviews, and different facilities, equipment and staff than planned for.  The latest incarnation are CTSAs or CTSIs, clinical and translational science centers funded by the federal NIH that most if not all California medical schools already have.

“The CIRM clinics are going to be generic stem cell clinics advancing California tourism.  Come to California, we will inject stem cells for any illness, in any part of your body, never mind that cancer is different from heart disease is different from bone disease is different from brain disease, no matter.  Next step is for CIRM to form a travel agency with discounted air and Ritz Carlton packages for patients and extended family non-stop from China.  There is likely considerable revenue to be generated here and Trounson, Weissman, and (Robert) Klein (former CIRM chairman) should find a way to benefit. It sounds so wonderful!!  The public will love it.  Now all they need are some treatments.  Love the name: Alpha Clinics, they wouldn't want to start with Beta test clinics when they can go big from the get-go.  What an irresponsible waste.”    

The other comments can be found at the end of the original item or in the column to the right of this item, headed "recent comments."

Trounson Proposes $70 Million, Fast-Track Stem Cell Clinic Plan for California

Alan Trounson, president of the California stem cell agency, this summer plans to seek $70 million for creation of what he calls Alpha Clinics, high-powered organizations that will fast-track stem cell therapies to patients.

The proposal is scheduled to come before CIRM board at its meeting in late July and would consume a significant slice of the $700 million to $800 million that the $3 billion agency has left to hand out.

Trounson broached the need for the clinics as far back as two years ago, but did not put a price tag on the concept until an interview published online late today in the Los Angeles Times. The interview will be carried in the print edition of the paper tomorrow.

In the Q&A session between Times columnist Patt Morrison and Trounson, he said, 

"I'm intending to set up a network of stem cell clinics in California in the next couple of years, to make treatments available as clinical trials or as registered treatments for patients. I'm going to ask the [CIRM] board for about $70 million to get that set up. It will make California a go-to place for stem cell therapies. I want to make sure it's part of our medical fabric."

In other media reports in previous years, Trounson has said the Alpha Clinics would speed delivery of stem cell-based therapies and reduce costs of clinical trials by building on the success of specialist cancer, transplant and in-vitro fertilization clinics.

Leigh Dayton wrote about Trounson's plan in The Australian last July 14. Dayton said,

“Initially the clinics would use the capacities and infrastructure in the most advanced university medical clinics to deliver bone-marrow stem cell therapies. As research evolves, so will the treatments and services offered.”

Trounson also discussed the Alpha Clinics during an appearance at USC in 2011. A university publication wrote,

"These clinics will initially serve to get patients into clinical trials or to offer sound advice to individuals who might otherwise go overseas to receive harmful stem cell therapies from disreputable clinics.

"'I’m willing to invest money to get these [clinics] up,' Trounson said. 'I think if nothing happens beyond 2017 and we don’t get any refunding, we can leave a footprint of stem cell clinics in California that will go on forever.'"

Trounson was not at last week's CIRM board meeting, but Ellen Feigal, senior vice president for research and development, said a white paper is being prepared on Alpha Clinics. She said a concept proposal would be brought to the board July 25 at a meeting in the San Francisco Bay Area. Once the board approves the concept, the staff will then prepare and post the RFA.

Interested parties can address suggestions or questions to Feigal at info@cirm.ca.gov.