Interested in stem cell developments.
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Well, you did leave out "breakthrough rumors," "buyout rumors," and "no news" upward drift and, as well, "gonna paddle rumors."
University of Michigan stem cell expert to appear on CBS "60 Minutes"
Tina Reed, AnnArbor.com, April 17, 2010
Some patients travel the world and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in the hopes of being cured by an injection of stem cells.
But the unregulated and unsupported medical practice is often ineffective, at best, and potentially very dangerous, said University of Michigan Center for Stem Cell Biology Director Sean Morrison.
"These clinics are preying on the hopes of desperate patients who want to believe someone out there can help them," Morrison said. "They are essentially snake oil salesmen."
Morrison will appear this weekend to discuss the growing problem on the news show 60 Minutes. The segment, called "21st Century Snake Oil" is set to air Sunday evening on CBS at 7 p.m.
According to CBS, the segment is a Scott Pelley hidden camera investigation that shows one man peddling a cure to Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS, to a dying man for $125,000. As quoted in a CBS story about the segment, Morrison tells Pelley: "If somebody squirted some stem cells into the spinal cord of an ALS patient and they stood up out of their wheelchair and had a permanent fix, that would be miraculous."
Morrison said he isn't sure how much of the segment he will appear in, but he was interviewed by CBS in his U-M laboratory. He also helped offer scientific guidance on the segment.
It's an issue that really hits home for the researcher, who said a law passed by voters in Michigan last year allowing embryonic stem cell research to be conducted is being challenged by potentially restrictive legislation at the state level.
Morrison said he is often asked about the safety and effectiveness of such treatments by patients and tells them to be cautious about overseas treatments.
"In the context of Michigan, this is why it's so important the real research is able to go forward with effective regulation," Morrison said.
Good statement, rocky. This is also my understanding of how most of these funding companies work.
Thanks for that info rocky. It looks like a good location with a number of companies in the area doing work that can be relevant to stem cell research so that is encouraging.
Right, Graeme, not that easy to do so far.
"The largest employer is the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
The adjacent biotech park is host to many innovative companies, including Advanced Cell Technology, which focuses on the development of effective methods to generate replacement cells from stem cells, and Abbott Laboratories, a leading pharmaceutical research and manufacturing firm."
Of course, that is the site they are currently in the process of leaving as they move to Marlboro, MA at a crucial period in their development. They will be saving some money on the rent but will have less space. In the short run the savings doesn't seem that great especially after they pay two rents for this month and the cost of moving and end up with less space. And they are leaving a biotech park which must have had some built-in advantages for research. Still, a somewhat smaller facility could be a better facility. But in discussing the move ACTC did not say anything about its new facility other than the previously stated it is less expensive and smaller. I would like to have seen some bragging about the new facility. Does any know if it is in some ways an improved, better equiped, etc., facility?
Thanks rocky, I hadn't noticed that. Good to see they have a lot of time for the move.
Speaking of the current CA and MA addresses of ACTC, the move of the Worcester facility from Plantation St. to Marlboro should have been completed by now. Any one know anything about that?
"who trades 140 shares of this?"
louisa, it's most likely the MM or a high-frequency trading specialist. The latter would be just probing for the best price.
"Lanza selling some of their shares makes me nervous. Why sell at ten cents"
My guess is that he and other insiders just want to be ready to be able to take advantage of a possible big increase in price at some point. I doubt any of them are doing much selling at 0.10
Re: "dig a little deeper with your DD instead of relying on a shoddy article"
I am trying. Maybe you can help with a critique of this other article:
Cascadia Investments, Inc. (CDIV.PK) – the blurring Internet content
http://www.pinkinvesting.com/2010-03-10/cascadia-investments-inc-cdivpk-%E2%80%93-the-blurring-internet-content/
Re: "hah nice try...old news too bud"
Frankly, I had seen recent references to cdiv climbing and was doing DD hoping to find a good bet but that article does state many things about the company which, if true, don't change in a few weeks. If you can point out what has changed or what was wrong in the article I would be glad to hear it.
Local newspaper cautions investors over Cascadia Investments
By Dave Porter, March 5, 2010
(Micro Cap News) Reno - Seattle Times Deputy Business Editor cautioned investors Saturday over Cascadia Investments (OTC: CDIV) web business saying it appeared that more cash was being spent hyping the stock than actually developing its websites, yet despite the newspaper story, CDIV's shares continued to trade heavily.
Calling it an "unspectacular company", the Times' Rami Grunbaum said Cascadia Investments was being heavily promoted on Twitter and that the former real estate company turned Internet developer soared in a matter of six months from 2/10ths of a cent to more than 27.5 cents by the end of February.
"Those anonymous enthusiasts, be they actual stockholders or paid shills, surely haven't visited its corporate headquarters - a frumpy one-room office with no company sign, just a yellow placard on the window sill that advertises 'The cheapest rentals' ", wrote Grunbaum.
The Seattle Times story noted how CDIV only spent $4,620 on its Internet business in the last quarter, according to filings found on the Pinksheet.com website.
"But on the bottom rung of the over-the-counter market known as the Pink Sheets none of that seems to matter," Grunbaum stated.
The Seattle Times story pointed out that "Cascade Investments has issued a blizzard of news releases since last summer about buying or licensing online games and Web sites."
But Grunbaum was thorough in attempting to interview CDIV CEO Nazir Maherali who sidestepped questions about the extreme heavy interest in his Company's stock. When he caught up with Maherali at his office - that 'dingy one-room' place - and asked Cascadia Investments' CEO about his revenue from all those web developments he was told: "We're building up a user base, we're not focused on revenue."
Micro Cap News did a little investigative journalism on its own, running 'who is' queries on websites CDIV says it acquired, noting that all of the domains where listed as being registered to Jon Kosowski of Bellingham Massachusetts - not Cascadia Investments.
Mr. Kosowski is listed as the owner of MyFlashgames.com, which Cascadia Investments said in a January 7, 2010 announcement that it had acquired - giving ample time to transfer the domain. Yet Who Is shows Kosowski first registered the domain April, 2009 and as of March 5, 2010 still owns the domain. Another search of MyPersonalRingtone.com also shows Kosowski as the registrant, which was first created in December, 2008. Cascadia Investments says it acquired a 50% stake in that Site on December 8, 2009.
While it appears that Mr. Kosowski has landed a windfall in the sale of numerous domains to CDIV, the Company appears to be moving at a snail's pace in taking ownership. No terms where ever disclosed in any of Cascadia Investments announcements, yet the Seattle Times says the company has 207 million shares issued and outstanding.
Micro Cap News has not attempted to contact Kosowski to see what his relationship is with Cascadia Investments - the Who Is records speak for themselves.
Shares of Cascadia Investments closed up Friday 2 cents, or 4.55%, at $0.45 on 1.064 million shares - placing the market cap of CDIV at $93.15 million.
Note: Micro Cap News is a newly-formed partnership of online news publishers through the World City Press Syndicate. Micro cap news articles are appearing on US news network AXcess News in advance of the launch of the beta news website. Dave Porter is an AXcess news staff reporter.
1AM EDT -- 10PMPDT
But don't expect any discussion of MMs. :)
louisa, not to worry, all questions about the true nature of the universe will be answered tonight. :)
One report is that at least 145 companies are being hit with some kind of glitch or temporary de-listing because a market maker pulled out over a fee dispute with the OTC BB. Here is a link to the companies de-listed.
http://www.otcbb.com/asp/dailylist_detail.asp?mkt_ctg=OTCBB&d=03/26/2010
lol, louisa. Actually, I think that's pretty much how Coast to Coast bills just about every guest they bring on.
Coast to CoastAM, Friday March 26, 2010
Filling in for George Noory, Art Bell welcomes renegade thinker & scientist, Robert Lanza, who'll discuss the true nature of the Universe and explain how consciousness is the key to all of creation.
rocky, again great information here.
It is my understanding that patent rejection is an almost standard part of the patent application procedure and happens at least 95% of the time and does not mean the patent will not eventually issue. The worthy patents prevail by overcoming the Examiner's argument with a better argument or with evidence or through appropriate amendment of the application. This is standard procedure which seems to seen as helpful in that it allows for strengthening of the application.
Further, I did not mention in my previous post that the facility at UMass is in a prime location with respect to a lot of other stem cell and gene research going on at UMass and the UMass location is central for much of what is going on with the $1 Billion MA Life Sciences Initiative.
Marlboro, MA, is, of course, not that far away from all of this. A facility there could even end up being closer to the MA Stem Cell Bank and International Registry in nearby Shrewsbury, MA. Anyone know if this may be the case?
So ACTC is going from facilities at UMass Medical Center of approximately 14,000 square feet with a monthly rent of $20,271 to a 10,607 square-foot facility in Marlboro, Massachusetts with a lease from April 1, 2010 through June 30, 2015. They state the monthly base rent in 2010 will be $12,596. But they say nothing about rent after that. So they are paying $8,000 less per month for the time being but giving up 3,000 square feet and incurring all the problems and risks inherent in transferring delicate equipment and, presumably, delicate vats and test tubes, etc., of stem cells. Sounds like a process that Lanza will not enjoy at all. Also, they say nothing about Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine International, the joint venture with CHA, which is currently located either in the same facililty or right next door.
Does anyone know if Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine International is also moving?
I am not too happy to hear about all of this equipment and delicate material being moved around.
woodrow, read my response to Sat and Delta before changing anything.
Stem Cells Versus Aging, Fountain of Youth (BTIM, GERN, ACTC)
By JON C. OGG, BioHealth Investor, 03/16/2010
How many movies and legends are based upon eternal youth? Hundreds or thousands for sure. BioTime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTIM) is seeing a massive surge of interest today after the company announced a “Peer-Reviewed Scientific Publication on the Reversal of the Developmental Aging of Normal Human Cells.”
The company is a small-cap biotechnology company (approximately $250 million) pursuing the development and marketing of products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine. The article was released online today in the peer-reviewed journal Regenerative Medicine ahead of the print publication showing that the aging of human cells can be reversed. The company noted that this “may have significant implications for the development of new classes of cell-based therapies targeting age-related degenerative disease.”
BioTime and its collaborators demonstrate the successful reversal of the developmental aging of normal human cells according to the article. The full article at Future Medicine is here.
BioTime is is led by Dr. Michael West as CEO. He was the Founder of Geron Corporation (NASDAQ: GERN), where he served until 1998. From 1998 to 2007 he was President and Chief Scientific Officer of Advanced Cell Technology Inc. (OTC: ACTC). Dr. West also gave a CNBC video here just this morning.
Also noted was that the aged differentiated cells became young stem cells capable of regeneration and transforming adult human cells back to a state very similar to embryonic stem cells. Does it come without exception or without differences? No.
Still, this is sending BioTime shares through the roof. Usually we see just over 100,000 shares trade hands. Today we have 3.3 million shares traded at 12:50 PM EST and BioTime’s stock is up 28% at $7.43 today.
"This was really a well written post. Thanks for the input."
The post is technically correct in a very narrow sense but is clearly aimed at trying to deny and obfuscate the tremendous damage done to stem cell research and development by the antediluvian Bush Administration stem cell policies which were not only very damaging and but were totally aimed at maintaining, in disregard to anything else, the political support of the irrational "evildoer" oriented evangelical right wing. ACTC was, in fact, a prime target of that propaganda and was nearly driven out of business by that Bush era propaganda and attacks.
louisa, this latest achievement also confirms that ACTC made a good move in bringing in Mickunas as Vice President of Regulatory and also that he, himself, made the move because he saw it as a move with tremendous potential.
Interestingly, Mickunas came to ACTC from AGTC (Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation, a privately held corporation). At AGTC Mickunas was Executive Director, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance. AGTC is a company focused on leveraging knowledge of the genetic code to treat human disease, including muscular dystrophy, emphysema. and degenerative eye diseases. It also, in fact, has three products which are potential candidates for Orphan Drug Status. AGTC had, as well, jointly developed with Genzyme Corporation a treatment for Age-Related Macular Degeneration and recently completed all the pre-clinical proof of concept and safety trials which show the treatment has high clinical potential.
This does seem to make it clear that Mickunas did decide there was more potential in the ACTC program and this continuing good news seems to be confirming that. I need only add the definitive point on this issue, Mickunas was willing to move from Florida (near the University of Florida) to Worcester, MA, in the middle of currently snow-bound New England, for his new job.
Incidence of AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration)
I just posted this on Yahoo because of bashers trying to minimize the impact of the Orphan Drug Status achievement by focusing on the fewer than 200,000 afflicted in the US. They are eager to ignore not only the relief that will come to SMD victimes but also the benefit to AMD victims and the much greater size of the AMD market. There is no such nonsense here but this is a good statement of the facts on the potential AMD market so I may as well put it out here also:
Incidence of AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration)
AMD affects 15-20 million people in the US, over 2.5 million people in Canada, and more than 50 million worldwide. In North America there are 2 million people with vision loss and more than 600,000 that are legally blind due to the disease. The worldwide incidence of the disease increases from 1 in 10 people over the age of 60 to more than 1 in 4 people over the age of 75. According to the AMD Alliance, macular degeneration is more common than Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
louisa, I am making a note to myself to check on that.
rocky, this may be opinion but it is excellent opinion to my mind and I thank you for it.
rocky, you make a sobering but necessary point here. ACTC was forced to make some bad deals. I don't know enough to know if some of them were self-serving for some of management and could have been avoided or been done somewhat more advantageously for ACTC. It does in fact seem to me likely that ACTC was lucky to survive the Bush Dark Ages and probably couldn't have done much better when they did what they had to do. Still, as you indicate, all here should be aware that the bad deals have extracted a price.
I do think (with a good deal of hope in there also) ACTC is one of the few companies around that can overcome the burden of these kinds of deals that bring down so many. I think their incredible scientific and medical achievements will continue to develop and lead to financial success as well.
But it will also be tougher than merely overcoming the particulars of the financing deals that ACTC has to overcome and it may require even more luck as it moves ahead. I do think the role of the MM's is often overdone but everyone here should be aware that the current version of "Wall Street" (in a broad view) is not a friend to 95% of the investors (like us) it pretends to serve, as outlined in this recent article which is especially poignant for those of us who are here in part because we see the benefits a company like ACTC can bring to humankind. We sometimes wonder why other investors, including those on Wall Street, aren't responding to this great humanitarian potential. The fact is Wall Street could care less:
Why you will never beat Wall Street
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/108943/8-reasons-wall-street-loses-another-20-in-this-decade?sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode=
The key statement in the above article for those of us interested in the human benefits ACTC may provide and why Wall Street isn't responding is:
<<
5. Wall Street has absolutely no moral conscience. Wall Street's greed knows no bounds, thanks to the moral hazard endorsed by the Fed and Treasury bailouts, Wall Street's obsession with mega-bonuses for insiders and their addiction to the new high-risk, high-leveraged, high-frequency derivatives gambling game that easily generates $100 million trading-profit days. Their cultural DNA must ignore lending to the little guy, to homeowners, to small businesses, to regional banks, to all the businesses that money-center banks used to help before investment bankers took over. Wall Street's DNA makes them incapable of feeling the pain the rest of America feels in an economic downturn with underemployment near 20%. Wall Streeters have zero moral conscience. Unfortunately, it's guaranteed to get far worse.
>>
Thanks for the reminder on this conference, woodrow. One minor comment I have; ACTC needs to develop a better logo!
rocky, that is fascinating info. Do you (or does anyone) have any idea as to how ACTC decides which lines, of the many they have, to submit for NIH approval?
Great info, rocky. Hopefully NIH will now have some good reasons to up that percentage.
Today's news about findings on iPS cells adds increasing and great significance to previous statements about the purity of ACTC stem cell lines by CEO Caldwell and others at ACTC such as this one from Sept. 8, 2009 Conference Call:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What convinces the Company that implanting (hESC) retinal pigment epithelial cells derived from human embryonic stem cells will not produce tumors? Why is the Company not using it's non-embryonic stem cell lines instead of (hESCs)?
I sense this question may have an agenda attached to it. First, you should understand our process. We develop a stem cell line. In the current example of the derived RPE cell line, the embryonic cell line utilized our single blastomere technology. It was one of the first lines we developed. We utilize Good Manufacturing Practices to develop what is called a “Master Bank” of human embryonic stem cells. These cells are characterized and tested to insure they are truly hESCs. You should know that one of the scientific tests to determine that the cells are hESCs, is whether they can produce a teratoma or benign tumor. ALL hESCs must be able to do this. We then develop a “working bank” of these cells. They in turn are differentiated into a particular cell type. In this case, RPE cells. We develop a “master bank” of RPE cells, again utilizing Good Manufacturing Practices in our lab in Worcester. That Master Bank of RPE cells is characterized, tested for purity and is worked to the point where it is “terminally differentiated”. Meaning that they can NO LONGER revert back to an embryonic state. The best example I can think of it that: It is now a butterfly and NOT a caterpillar. We test the RPE cells for purity and to insure that NO residual embryonic stem cells still exist. They must be 99+% pure with no lingering hESC’s, period! What is frustrating for the development team is the “sloppy science” you see in some “university sponsored” research projects where progress is made on the technology platform but the researcher reports they found tumors caused by the differentiated cells. All that means is that the cells were not “terminally differentiated” by the researcher. That is the difference between research programs and pre-clinical development programs utilizing GMP or GLP manufacturing practices. I want to emphasize as all of our published work relating to our RPE program has indicated, we have experienced NO tumor formations of any type in our preclinical trials. Dr. Raymond Lund, lead outside researcher is a leader in the field of retinal research and currently at the Casey Eye Institute at OHSU. He is the brains behind the development of the RCS rat model which the FDA approves as one of the viable animal models for retinal disease. He is one of the patent holders of the ARPA 19 retinal cell line currently being utilized in clinical trials. He has led and co authored our “proof of concept” and our pre-clinical animal trials. No tumors have been found in any of our pre-clinical animal studies either conducted by Ray or the company. We are just now completing a third party tumorigenicity study which will support the purity of our cells.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Thanks for that info, rocky.
Approval means NIH is allowed to fund research using those lines if they deem the research worthy in other respects. NIH will not fund hESC research using other than approved lines. But projects using the approved lines must still meet other NIH criteria for projects worthy of funding. Of course, if the ACTC lines are approved that means ACTC could apply for NIH funding for their research projects using those lines. It also means that any other organizations using the ACTC lines in their research could apply for NIH funding for those projects. In no way does using approved lines provide, by itself, for NIH funding of a project. But, again, with approved lines ACTC has a chance, and probably a good one, at getting NIH funding for some of its projects. Approval would also make the lines more attractive to other organizations doing hESC research and would therefore make it more likely that ACTC would earn additional revenue through providing the lines to other organizations. And some of those other organizations may be especially interested in the NED (No Embryo Destruction) lines. As well, many hESC research organizations may agree with Dr. Caldwell's recent assertion that ACTC lines may have a corner in the market because of their purity. If so, that would make them that much more valuable.
Here is the site for lines approved:
http://grants.nih.gov/stem_cells/registry/current.htm
Here is the site for lines with review pending:
http://grants.nih.gov/stem_cells/registry/pending.htm
donmasta, it sounds like you have misinterpreted the stem cell lines and funding issue. Approval does not mean the specific line or ACTC directly receive any funds because of NIH approval. NIH approval of a line means that any research or development projects utilizing the line would be eligible to receive NIH funding if otherwise deemed worthy.
Let me know if I misunderstood your statement.
Blind girl and family return from China after stem- cell treatments
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise - Jessica Collier -
SARANAC LAKE - The good news is that 2-year-old London Call's sight has definitely shown signs of improvement.
http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/511013.html?nav=5008
rocky, I will guess:
1) CHA Biotech
2) Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine International
Trying to get the previous link to work:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/sciencefair/2010/01/a-huge-leap-forward-for-stem-cell-research.html
A 'huge leap forward' for stem cell research
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine may have taken the controversy out of the entire field of stem cell research. ....
http://blogs.usatoday.com/sciencefair/2010/01/a-