From Ultra Rare Afflictions to Stroke: Latest on California's New Priorities for $3.9 Billion in Cell/Gene Therapy Research

Friday session to dig into clinical trials, award program consolidation

See the end of the article for an identical bar chart on active awards in the CIRM portfolio. CIRM also has charts showing the number of Californians afflicted with prevalent diseases and the cost to California. Those can be found in this document.

Action on changes in the multibillion-dollar priorities of California’s stem cell and gene therapy program is coming closer to a resolution this week with an examination of rare disease research financing along with funding for more prevalent afflictions such as stroke and heart disease. 

Proposals on the table at a lengthy public meeting Friday include creation of a pilot rare disease platform program that would require academic and industry partnerships. Preclinical research programs would be consolidated. Funding would be increased to hurdle “readiness gaps” facing companies seeking to commercialize therapies/cures. 

Those are just a few of the changes that are likely to move forward at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and control its last $3.9 billion in research awards.