Biotech Roundup: Wednesday, March 11

Woops…we missed Monday’s roundup with all the excitement around stem cells. So, today we’ll make up for lost time.

West Coast Governors teaming up on alternative fueling stations. From the Biodiesel and Ethanol Investing blog, we hear that the Governors of Oregon, Washington and California are teaming up in an effort to offer motorists fueling stations where they can fill up on biodiesel and ethanol (along with hydrogen and compressed natural gas). If it passes a number of state and federal hurdles, it could become a model for a “green freeway” that allows drivers to take full advantage of the growing range of alternative fuel options.

Public Insurance Option Wins Public Support Ezra Klein pointed out yesterday that a new poll shows 73% of Americans want a public health insurance option. It’s yet another wrinkle in the complex debate over health reform.

The issue’s supporters are simply arguing that individuals should have a choice that’s not private insurance. The opposition worries that a public insurance option will use Medicare payment rates and increased market share to create an “unlevel playing field” and outcompete private insurance forcing Aetna out of business in 2023 or so…On the other hand, the opposition will probably not make that case to the public. Rather, they’ll argue to the White House that you need 60 votes.

Report touts biofuels revenue potential over next 10 years. BiofuelsDigest gave us a heads up about a new report from Clean Edge, which argues that biofuels revenues will reach $105.4 billion by 2018, up from $34.8 billion last year. While they acknowledge that the current economic woes will take a toll in 2009, they argue that it won’t be as bad as some predict:

While we expect to see continued growth for the sector in the mid- to long-term, we believe 2009 will be a year of refocus, consolidation, or retrenchment for many firms. At the same time, new government spending, regulation, and policies should help the sector weather the current economic crisis better than most other sectors. On balance, we believe clean energy and energy intelligence will be seen as a means to help economies around the world pull out of the current economic malaise.

Stem Cell news sends some stocks soaring. Though we generally don’t cover the ups and downs of biotech stocks, we couldn’t resist this post from BioHealth Investor about the impact of President Obama’s stem cell executive order on the stock market.

Bioethicist weighs in on Stem Cell announcement. blog.bioethics.net, the blog of The American Journal of Bioethics, pointed us toward a column from Dr. Arthur Caplan, Director of the Center for Bioethics and the University of Pennsylvania. Here’s an excerpt:

The people who know best — scientists and doctors — are nearly unanimous in the belief that embryonic stem cell research ought to be generously funded and aggressively pursued.

No one, not even some of the outspoken religious leaders who suddenly seem to find themselves possessed by the spirit of biological expertise, knows what the best source of stem cells will be for treating diabetes, spinal cord injuries or cardiac damage from heart attacks. No actual scientist can say with any degree of certainty whether it will be embryonic, fetal, adult, cloned or induced stem cells — those made by modifying adult stem cells so that they act like embryos — that will prove most effective.

It will take a lot of money and at least five to 10 years to find out. Uncertainty simply is the state of stem cell science. Keep in mind that nearly all of those who prattle on about alternatives to or the lack of cures from embryonic stem cell research spend precious little time with scientists or reading the scientific literature. Their claims about stem cell research are based firmly upon their religious beliefs.

So if I’m right and embryonic stem cell research is worth supporting with your tax dollars on scientific grounds then is it also worth supporting on ethical grounds? Absolutely.