FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ASH ENDORSES CALIFORNIA STEM CELL RESEARCH AND CURES INITIATIVE
(WASHINGTON, May 12, 2004)– The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has endorsed the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. The initiative, which will appear on the November 2004 California state ballot, would provide funds needed for the development of lifesaving therapies and cures for diseases that could save the lives of millions of California children and adults and ultimately reduce the state's health care costs.
“Stem cell research has the potential to alleviate the pain and suffering of millions of Americans,” noted Stanley L. Schrier, M.D., ASH President and Emeritus Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology at Stanford University School of Medicine. “The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative will provide much needed funding to put the medical research enterprise on its way toward making the promise of new cures and treatments a reality.”
The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative was developed by a coalition of California families and medical experts determined to close the funding gap in stem cell research. Currently, there is no state level funding for stem cell research and political roadblocks on the federal level have severely limited funding opportunities for some of the most promising types of stem cell research. This initiative will provide the funding needed for lifesaving stem cell research in the state of California. The ballot measure also requires strict fiscal and public accountability, protects and benefits the state budget, and includes strict ethical deadlines. More information on the initiative can be obtained at www.curesforcalifornia.com.
ASH joins a coalition that already includes Nobel Prize-winning scientists and medical experts, families involved in patient advocacy and efforts to cure diseases, and organizations like the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
The American Society of Hematology (www.hematology.org) is the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatment of blood disorders. Its mission is to further the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting blood, bone marrow, and the immunologic, hemostatic, and vascular systems, by promoting research, clinical care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology.
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