Embryonic stem cells are too expensive
Dozens of media outlets around the world have published the most unpleasant news: Geron has completely stopped working with embryonic stem cells, including one of the first clinical trials in this industry and in the future plans to exclusively develop antitumor drugs. The company will have to lay off 38% of its employees (68 people) and survive the fact that its shares have fallen by 20% over the past day after this statement.
Geron's decision is not only the strongest blow to the entire cellular technology industry, but also, in particular, to the dream of using stem cells to treat people paralyzed as a result of spinal cord injuries, which has begun to turn into reality. The fact is that, among other things, the company stopped conducting a first-of-its-kind clinical trial started about a year ago, in which it was planned to treat 11 paralyzed patients.
Geron has spent a huge amount of time and effort to get permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to conduct this clinical trial. In addition to treating spinal cord injuries, the company's specialists also worked on projects dedicated to the use of human embryonic stem cells for the treatment of a number of other diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and ligamentous injuries.
A representative of the California-based biotech giant said that the company's management decided to stop all these studies based solely on financial considerations. Neither the ethical aspects related to the need to destroy human embryos in order to obtain embryonic cells, nor the treatment results of the first four participants in the clinical trial have anything to do with this.
According to John Scarlett, Executive director of Geron, the choice of the company is due to the fact that, according to management estimates, the funds available to the company will be sufficient to conduct research in the field of therapeutic oncology, while continuing work with stem cells would require the search for additional sources of funding.
Heron would need to spend $25 million a year to continue research with a potentially huge sales market, but without confidence in the realization of these hopes and a complete lack of understanding of the time it will take.
However, the work on testing methods of using embryonic stem cells in clinical practice does not stop. Several companies, at least, are not giving up yet. Among them is Advanced Cell Technology, based in Worcester, Massachusetts, conducting a clinical study of the use of embryonic stem cells for the treatment of blindness caused by a hereditary disease – Stargardt macular dystrophy.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru
16.11.2011