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The following was Forwarded from PAN. See PANs web site for updated information and actions you can take. www.parkinsonsaction.org Linda ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As I am sure you already know, on Monday, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction halting all federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research. This ruling was both devastating and unexpected. It was devastating because it immediately stops federal funding to a field of research that holds promise for many diseases, including Parkinson’s. And the decision was unexpected because, while we knew the lawsuit was pending, the underlying legal theory of the judge’s decision is inconsistent with the long-standing interpretation of the statute known as the “Dickey-Wicker Amendment.” While there remain a number of unanswered questions about the best next steps, I want to let the Parkinson’s community know that we are exploring every option to ensure that federal funding for this important research is restored. In conjunction with the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), we are working with key Members of Congress to explore the possibility of a legislative fix. This would be the best approach, but it would have to happen quickly and is not guaranteed. CAMR is also analyzing how to ensure that the voices of those who are truly affected by this awful decision – patients and researchers – are heard in this case. It is important to remember that this ruling is a preliminary, or temporary, injunction. The arguments still need to be made and a final ruling issued. Many questions have come up about the immediate impact of this ruling on research. We have been told that any new grants are on hold. To put that in very real terms, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stated yesterday that: 50 grants in the queue for peer review were pulled; 12 proposals worth $15 - $20 million ready for the final level of review and likely to be funded were stopped; and 22 grants worth $54 million ready for their annual renewal in September will not be renewed. In addition, human embryonic stem cell lines ready to be added to the registry (the listing of eligible stem cell lines) will be placed on hold. We are still waiting for definitive guidance from NIH about how this ruling will affect research already underway using this year’s money. I have heard from so many of you how upsetting this decision is. I agree. That is why we simply cannot accept this as “the way things are.” We are working hard on a strategy and what route our advocacy will take in the coming weeks and months – and we will need each and every one of you to be a part of it. Please stay tuned in the coming days and weeks for important updates on this issue, and how your voice will play an important role. Sincerely,Amy Comstock Rick www.pdpipeline.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn