Related to Milken Institute Global Conference Points to Missed Opportunity in Health Reform: Wellness and Prevention

• Medical Uses for Marijuana No Longer in the Weeds
  New crop of companies are adding to the political debate and also providing clinical evidence.
  
• Court’s Halt of Federally Backed ESC Research May Impact Economic Growth
  If the injunction sticks, U.S. firms will likely send ESC research jobs abroad.
  
• 2011 Budget Outlook: Trim, Cut, Then Slash
  Agencies like the FDA and NIH are looking at potentially huge cuts.
  
• Study Finds a Friend at NIH but Will Congress Share the Love?
  Paper in NEJM tries to make case for boosting federal research funding amid House leaders’ pursuit of spending cuts.
  
• Opinion: Watson, Come Here … You're Needed at the PTO
  Without a transformation of the information technology supporting patent examiners, patent reform would be like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
  
• A Look at the Top Two Bio Clusters in the U.S.: California and Massachusetts
  Financing and workforce issues are at the top of their agendas for this year.
  
• Overview of the Number Three and Four Biotech Clusters in the U.S.
  North Carolina and Maryland are trying to start new funds to support start-ups.
  
• Patent Reform Likely to Benefit Industry Giants More Than Start-Ups
  Points of concern in the America Invents Act include provisions for first-to-file and inequitable conduct.
  
• Review of the Second Tier of Biotechnology Clusters in the U.S.
  Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington gear up to boost growth plans while trying to balance budget woes.
  
• House Takes Different Stance from Senate on Two Key Factors in Patent Reform
  While in number the amendments are small, their influence could be significant.
  
• Do Presidential Bioethics Committees Shape Science Policy?
  Panels help frame the debate, but topics are sometimes chosen more because of political pressure than scientific need.
  
• U.S. Lead in Nanotechnology Depends on Growth of FDA and Gov’t Initiatives
  European revenue from nanotech-enabled products is projected to surpass that of the U.S. by 2015, according to Lux Research.
  
• Obama Administration’s Support During 2011 for Biotech Yields Mixed Results
  President had success with finalizing patent reform after decades of debate but still has to address other concerns like the budget.
  
• Congress Will Have to Deal with Much More than Just Elections in 2012
  At the forefront of discussions will be deficit reduction, which could significantly impact life science funding.
  
• Republican Candidates Vouch for Agency Spending Cuts and hESC Restrictions
  While details differ, Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul all want to slice FDA and NIH’s budget.
  
• Policy Makers, Regulators Are Trying to Fortify Focus on Treating Superbugs
  Legislation and FDA rules have been slow to come, but all voice a sense of urgency.
  
• Care for Chimpanzees Retired from Research Use and Deciding Endangered Classification Key to Policy Changes
  NIH expects to give out about half as many grants for research using chimps once it implements restrictions.
  
• As Politicos Posture, Advocates Assess the Impact of Sequestration on Federal Agencies
  NIH estimates a 7.8% cut, while FASEB projects that number could go as high as 11.1%.
  
• EC Eyes Summer Overhaul for Clinical Trial Rules to Improve Drug Development
  Commission is moving from a directive to a regulation so guidelines will be implemented into law immediately across members.
  
• Potholes Threaten Medical Marijuana Progress
  Regulatory and political climate in U.S. right now doesn’t favor increasing patient access.