Senators Push For Regenerative Medicine Study
By Sara Jerome,
@sarmje
A bipartisan group of senators wants the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess federal involvement in regenerative medicine.
In a letter to the GAO, the senators framed it as a step toward ensuring that federal funding in this arena is being used efficiently, especially in light of the budget crisis. They said they want to understand what efforts are currently underway and whether these efforts are well-coordinated.
"We believe there needs to be a comprehensive assessment of activities related to regenerative medicine to highlight successes, identify duplicative efforts or areas where greater efficiency can be achieved, and evaluate how best to focus resources on those areas that could address significant unmet medical needs," the letter said.
Research funding, barriers to innovation, and coordination among federal agencies were the areas of most interest to the senators. Signatories included Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Barbara Boxer (D-CA).
A study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published in 2006 noted an absence of a coordinated federal approach to support regenerative medicine.
"To create complex tissues and organs, government resources, and coordination are essential for driving the research effort in an efficient and swift manner," the study said.
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) praised the senators for their effort.
"As our nation looks to advance this critical healthcare field, a thorough, strategic assessment of current activities related to regenerative medicine occurring at various agencies throughout the federal government will enable better coordination of efforts and more effective use of resources," said Michael Werner, executive director of ARM, in a statement.
Regenerative medicine aims to address the underlying causes of diseases by employing therapeutic strategies that augment, repair, replace or regenerate cells, tissues, or organs, ARM explained.
A Research and Markets report released on Friday predicted that the regenerative medicine market it in the U.S. will grow at a rate of around 16 percent over the period from 2012 to 2016.