Stem cell agency okays $150 million ‘powerhouse’

Directors of California’s stem cell agency this morning approved financing terms for a proposed, $150 million, public-private company that the agency hopes will accelerate the creation of long-sought stem cell therapies.

The plan to create a stem cell “powerhouse” is likely to be one of the landmark legacies of the state’s $3 billion research effort — for better or worse. Such a partnership would be unique in California history and nationally.

The goal is “to create a therapeutic powerhouse that increases the likelihood of getting stem cell therapeutics to the patients.”

The agency has yet to produce the cures promised to voters in 2004 when they created the research effort and provided the billions in bond funding. Total costs, including interest, will run about $6 billion..

Today’s action set the terms for the $75 million in a loan that the agency — formally known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) — would hand out. The funds would go to a private partner that would also put up $75 million.

A joint committee of the directors approved the terms, with virtually no discussion, on an 8-0 vote during a meeting that lasted only 10 minutes.

The aim of the agency is to “de-risk” development of therapies in order to entice a well-financed and well-managed partner to take CIRM research into the marketplace and make it widely available to the public. The partner would be expected to pay back only 50 percent of the loan plus interest. The new company would also have the pick of the 94 percent of CIRM research that doesn’t already have a business partner.

The agency plans to provide the $75 million in three different notes. CIRM would then be able to sell the notes to another investor at time when it would appear to be most profitable. Or the agency could simply hold onto the loans.

The loans would be convertible to stock in the company, although state agencies cannot legally own such stock. However, a possible buyer for the notes might see an opportunity for profit and would be willing to pay the agency more than the value of the loan.

If the company is successful, it could generate royalties to the state’s general fund under the provisions of CIRM’s rules. Cash from the sale of the loans, however, would go directly to CIRM. The agency has not yet earned any royalties from the research it has funded.

Directors of the agency approved the concept for the new company — minus today’s finance terms — at a meeting in December. Maria Millan, senior director for medical affairs, told them that the goal is “to create a therapeutic powerhouse that increases the likelihood of getting stem cell therapeutics to the patients.”

Today’s action set the stage for final preparation of a request for interested parties to apply for the $75 million for what it calls ATP3 (short for Accelerating Therapeutics through Public-Private Partnerships). CIRM has said the partner could be an existing company, a new one or some sort of combination. The agency said it consulted with companies, lawyers and venture capitalists to prepare the financing terms.

Under the current timetable, the application request would be posted in the third quarter of this year, according to Kevin McCormack, senior director for CIRM communications. The proposals would be reviewed the agency’s grant reviewers behind closed doors during the first quarter of next year. In nearly all cases over the last 11 years, favorable decisions by the reviewers are routinely ratified by CIRM directors. The directors are expected to take their formal vote in early summer of 2017.

The blue ribbon reviewers come from out-of-state. The identities of reviewers on specific applications are withheld by the agency. Their professional and economic interests are not publicly disclosed, although agency asks for the information and asks the reviewers to recuse themselves if they (the reviewers) see a conflict.

CIRM Director Steve Juelsgaard, former executive vice president of Genentech, said the award is more about business than science and needs reviewers who understand what makes a business successful. CIRM officials said they would brief the joint committee on review procedures for the award when they are more developed.

McCormack confirmed to the California Stem Cell Report that proposal is unique. He said, “CIRM diligently scoured the landscape for inspiration for its ATP3 model. This effort confirmed that ATP3 is a novel response to a unique set of challenges not commonly encountered in CIRM’s field. A given component of the program may be inspired by one example or another, but the design of ATP3 as a whole is custom tailored to CIRM’s environment.”

McCormack also said that the state governor’s, treasurer’s and controller’s offices have all been briefed on the plan. However, under the ballot initiative that created the agency, no state officials, including the legislature, have legal control of the agency policies or research funding.

Here are links to the presentation today, a CIRM staff memo on the loan terms and the term sheet. Here is a look at the risk-benefit analysis by CIRM, and a look at how the intellectual and royalty rights would work. Other background can be found here and here. Sphere: Related Content
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Ed’s Note: David Jensen is a retired newsman who has followed the affairs of the $3 billion California stem cell agency since 2005 via his blog, the California Stem Cell Report, where this story first appeared.  He has published more than 4,000 items on California stem cell matters in the past 11 years.