Also possibly on tap is an update on the status of efforts to raise privately some $200 million to tide over the agency as it looks forward to 2020 and a possible ballot measure to provide it with another $5 billion.
Known formally as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the agency expects to run out of cash for new awards in about 12 months. Its award budget for 2019 now stands at $144 million. Presumably, another $28.4 million can be added, which is the uncommitted cash for research left over from this year.
The agency subsists on state bond funds approved by voters. Its bond issuance authority, however, is expiring. No other source of funding was provided by voters, and the agency has no expectations of being financed on annual basis by the legislature.
The 2004 ballot campaign that created the first-ever such agency in California history raised high hopes a stem cell therapy was right around the corner. CIRM has not yet backed a treatment that is available for widespread use. However, it is helping to fund 49 clinical trials, the last steps before a treatment is approved for the marketplace.
The application (CLIN2-11371) before the board next week has already been approved by the agency's reviewers. Normal practice is for the board to ratify in public earlier decisions made in private by reviewers.
The name of the recipient has been withheld by the agency until after ratification, as is the agency's standard practice. The proposal seeks to continue a phase one clinical trial to help treat lymphoma.
The CIRM summary of the review of the application said the goal of the research is to "ameliorate or accelerate recovery from toxicities related to high-dose chemotherapy followed by HDT-ASCT for the treatment of lymphoma and other cancers."
CIRM said the method would involve "genetically engineered CD31+ cells derived from human umbilical vein tissue (engineered HUVEC)."
"There are currently only a few moderately effective treatments available to reduce the toxic side effects associated with aggressive cancer treatments – hence a high unmet medical need. New approaches are urgently needed to both improve quality of life and reduce the risks of high dose therapy."The summary said that the $6.2 million award would be backed by $2.7 million from the recipient.
CIRM Chaiman Jonathan Thomas has been working to raise the private funds to help support the agency beyond next year. He often reports on his progress at board meetings.
The CIRM board meeting will be based in Oakland. Offsite locations where the public can participate are located in Stanford and San Francisco. The public can also log in online and ask questions or make comments. Instructions on how to participate are contained on the meeting agenda. If you are not familiar with the procedure, it is useful to log in about 10 minutes prior to the meeting's start (10 a.m. PST) to avoid technical difficulties.
