CPRIT, Part 7 (Conclusion): Reflections

The story of CPRIT is not over. Revelations and reactions come out almost daily as the power struggles continue. It is ultimately in the legislature's hands what will occur.But the situation is not encouraging. There is no reason to believe that there is a way to put Humpty Dumpty back together again after this fiasco. Nothing I've seen looks at all hopeful about change even though the new CPRIT officials are making compliant noises. The vigorous pro-rapid-commercialization defenses being made are not reassuring. Those who promote a "business" or "engineering" approach to cancer drugs while disdaining scientific evaluation are misguided, but they with probably some sincerity think they are marvelous people who plan to combine "doing good" with "doing well." After all, if Governor Perry had my opinion of the dangers of unproven therapies, he would never have permitted his surgeon to inject him with multiplied stem cells. And, these people are extremely tenacious. The focus seems to be on saying there will be "better management procedures" henceforward and I don't have confidence that will address the impetus to eschew scientific evaluation. There is some hope that some of the earlier monies spent by CPRIT may prove worthwhile, and there is some satisfaction that such a large group of people stood up for the principle that scientific review MUST be a part of deciding what is commercialized.In her resignation letter, Monica Bertagnolli of Harvard Medical School said it ...
Source: Health Care Renewal - Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Source Type: blogs