Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Assertion 1
The reason that embryonic stem cell researchers are agitating for taxpayer money is that their private funding has dried up. Private investors and venture capitalists are not investing in embryonic stem cell research because they perceive it to be a pipe dream unlikely to produce any progress and, hence, investment returns, in any reasonable time frame.
—Steven Milloy
LACK OF FUNDS
Geron the first company to get the green light for trials, quit and is selling that part of the business
The topic of Embryonic stem cell research carries with it a very controversial past. Some people support it, others do not. Stem cell research costs about 42 million dollars a year, how do they afford it, by the funding of private companies. However, what happens when the money runs out? Where will they get more? Will stem cell research continue? These are the questions I will be addressing in this essay.
Geron, the first company to get the green light for testing, is now cutting the stem cell research department, and selling the shares from that area. That alone tells people that there is virtually nothing coming from it, and yet it is still consuming so much money, and investors are getting impatient for a result. Wouldn’t it make sense that if the company to start all of this drops out, that others would too? Why not abandon it? Many people will not abandon this cause no matter how grave the outcome may be, they will keep fighting because it is important to them. Even though there are many ethical issues with it, it does have the possibility to save lives, but how long will that take, ten, fifteen years? Where is the money going to come from to support it for that long? The real dilemma is the financial support.
At this time, the financial support for stem cell research comes from mainly private investors, such as Geron. However, there is little progress being made, so investors are getting worried about their money loss. Sure they could keep giving
The reason that embryonic stem cell researchers are agitating for taxpayer money is that their private funding has dried up. Private investors and venture capitalists are not investing in embryonic stem cell research because they perceive it to be a pipe dream unlikely to produce any progress and, hence, investment returns, in any reasonable time frame.
—Steven Milloy
LACK OF FUNDS
Geron the first company to get the green light for trials, quit and is selling that part of the business
The topic of Embryonic stem cell research carries with it a very controversial past. Some people support it, others do not. Stem cell research costs about 42 million dollars a year, how do they afford it, by the funding of private companies. However, what happens when the money runs out? Where will they get more? Will stem cell research continue? These are the questions I will be addressing in this essay.
Geron, the first company to get the green light for testing, is now cutting the stem cell research department, and selling the shares from that area. That alone tells people that there is virtually nothing coming from it, and yet it is still consuming so much money, and investors are getting impatient for a result. Wouldn’t it make sense that if the company to start all of this drops out, that others would too? Why not abandon it? Many people will not abandon this cause no matter how grave the outcome may be, they will keep fighting because it is important to them. Even though there are many ethical issues with it, it does have the possibility to save lives, but how long will that take, ten, fifteen years? Where is the money going to come from to support it for that long? The real dilemma is the financial support.
At this time, the financial support for stem cell research comes from mainly private investors, such as Geron. However, there is little progress being made, so investors are getting worried about their money loss. Sure they could keep giving
Cited: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/223824.php http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/business/geron-is-shutting-down-its-stem-cell-clinical-trial.html http://www.stemcellresearchnews.net/News/ImplicationsofPresidentObamasStemCellDirectiveonFutureResearch.aspx