Links and Resources
Regenerative Medicine
McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine - web site (University of Pittsburg)
Morphogenesis & Regenerative Medicine - web site (University of Virginia)California Institute for Regenerative Medicine - web site (state of California)
2nd World Congress on Regenerative Medicine - web site (May 18-20, 2005 in Leipzig, Germany)
Stem Cell Research
Hype and Hope web site
Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine (2002) - Book from the National Academies Press
Fighting the Drug Companies
Who will our Congress, our elected representatives, listen to? Well, for an example, view Amgen's contributions to political campaigns at www.tray.com. Type in "Amgen" in the 'Go Search' box, click on the button for the '2006, 2004, 2002 combined (takes a bit longer...)' election cycle, and then click "Go Search".
Amgen is #26 on the list, spending $2,740,000. Abbott Labs is #17 on the list, spending $3,720,000. Baxter and Genzyme are also on the list. (The Boston Globe)The $800 Million Pill suggests ways that the government's role in testing new medicines could be expanded to eliminate the private sector waste driving up the cost of existing drugs. Pharmaceutical firms should be compelled to refocus their human and financial resources on true medical innovation, author Merrill Goozner insists. This book is essential reading for everyone concerned about the politically charged topics of drug pricing, Medicare coverage, national health care, and the role of pharmaceutical companies in developing countries. (The University of California Press- published April 2004)
New America Foundation: Why Americans believe they have to put up with pharmaceutical profiteering - March 1, 2004
Bio IT World: The true cost of drug discovery - July 14, 2004
On the Commons.org - 2004"Like all drug companies, Amgen claims that the high price of Epo is necessary to fund its search for innovative new drugs."
Editor's Note: Use of EPO in dialysis centers has been the biggest source of profits that funds research at Amgen. It may be time for dialysis patients to demand that some of this money be redirected to seek cures for kidney failure.
Be sure to read the last paragraph of the article. Had the paperwork been done, the patent for EPO would likely have belonged to the U.S. government."In Epogen's case, Amgen won as many as 12 extra years of protection beyond that first patent, which will keep the price high until 2016."Scientific American: The orphan drug backlash
Health Affairs: Re-Naming And Re-Gaming: Medicare’s Doomed Attempt To Reform Reimbursement For Injectable Drugs - Dec. 8, 2004
According to an e-mail received from James Love on 1/21/05, no action by the government was ever taken. Documents are from the Consumer Project on Technology web site. 1998 news story from Wired News.
Whistleblowing
Book: Giantkillers
"For anyone who is considering blowing the whistle on corporate wrongdoing or has wondered how others find the guts to do so, Giantkillers is essential reading." Read reviews.
RenalWEB Editorials
A Suggestion (or Two) for Improving Federal Government Spending on Kidney Disease - RenalWEB Editorial on Jan. 18, 2005A Centralized Disease Management Approach – Free of "Dr. Congress" and (Most) Drug Money"Amgen Nephrology" vs. "Real Nephrology" - RenalWEB Editorial on Jan. 11, 2005