Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110974

Kelley A. Friedgen, JD, MPH, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, Arnold & Porter LLP, 555 Twelfth St., NW, Washington, DC, DC 20004, 202 942 6640, kelley.friedgen@aporter.com and Bettina Hanke, Grundsatzangelegenheiten und Recht, Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, Berlin, D-13353, Germany.

As evidence by the ballot initiative in California and the recent law passed in New Jersey in 2004, various states are eager to step into the void created by the Bush Administration's funding restrictions on federal research involving embryonic stem cells. Simultaneously some states, most recently South Dakota, are passing state bans on such research. It appears the inevitable result of the federal restrictions is to be a “laboratory of the states” approach. As such, it makes sense for state legislators and special interest advocates to consider and evaluate regulatory approaches already underway throughout the world. The best example, based on shared legal and cultural traditions, is the European Union. The 25-member-state entity has also been grappling with embryonic stem cell research on union-wide level, however, several member states have already developed and had in place for some time national policies supporting, outlawing or heavily regulating this technology within their borders. This presentation will identify the impact such policies have had both economically and scientifically in these member states as well as in the EU as a whole, and then consider what lessons U.S. state legislators can glean from these experiences.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Distinguish between federal spending limitations and state legislation regarding embryonic stem cell research.
• Describe the similarities and differences in the regulation of and support for /against embryonic stem cell research between the American federal system and the European Union and select EU member states.
• Apply the lessons to be gleaned from the various experiences of EU member states and the variety of approaches they employ to regulate research in this area to drafting, supporting, or critiquing bills under consideration or legislation already passed at the state level in the United States.

Keywords: Research Agenda, Regulations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF While conducting this research and writing this paper I was a Fellow of the Robert Bosch Foundation and received a monthly stipend from this non-profit organization. As part of my fellowship I worked at both the Robert Koch-Institut and the Verband Forsc.