Regenerative medicine coalition gets organized

Published on: 
Pharmaceutical Commerce, Pharmaceutical Commerce - October 2009,

Though stem cells and other regenerative medicine techniques hold enormous promise, they also face an equally large set of obstacles, ranging from research funding to reimbursement

Last summer, a collection of manufacturers and supporters formed an organization to address these issues, the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, which is now beginning to take shape.

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In September, the Alliance held its first official meeting and appointed executive officers. John Walker, CEO of stem cell company iPierian (San Francisco), will chair the organization. Charter members include Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer Inc. as well as research institutes, foundations, venture capital firms and makers of regenerative treatments.

The overall goal is to lobby for favorable policies in three areas: research, regulation and reimbursement. One aim is to ensure that researchers can gain access to funding, says Michael Werner, executive director at the Alliance and a partner at law firm Holland & Knight in Washington.