New Haven, Conn., Jan. 11, 2005 - Connecticut United for Research Excellence, Inc. (CURE), the state bioscience organization, issued a statement today supporting and congratulating the bipartisan effort by Connecticut's legislative and executive branches to work together to make Connecticut a "safe haven" for embryonic stem cell research and create a state-supported fund to bolster embryonic stem cell research efforts in Connecticut.

"Governor Rell and the General Assembly Leadership have each recommended providing state funds to make Connecticut a center for embryonic stem cell research," said Paul R. Pescatello, President and CEO of CURE. "We are fortunate to live in a state with a leadership that has the vision and the common sense to build a foundation for embryonic stem cell research. This legislation is about curing disease, and it is also about creating an economic development engine. If Connecticut is to prosper in the future, it needs the high paying jobs that will be created through stem cell research."

"This is a watershed opportunity," Pescatello continued. "We have cutting-edge stem cell research already being conducted here in Connecticut at Yale and the University of Connecticut. However, since the passage of California's $3 billion ballot initiative this fall, Wisconsin's announcement of a $750 million stem cell initiative and now, today, New Jersey Governor Codey's plan for a $400 million stem cell research effort, we are in a heated competition with other locations to become a center for embryonic stem cell research. We must act now if Connecticut is to continue to play an important role in research that ultimately will translate into treatments for some of today's most intractable diseases and conditions. State funding for embryonic stem cell research will send a message to Connecticut's bioscience community about the importance of the sector to the state."

In the 2004 legislative session, CURE, as co-chair of the Connecticut Stem Cell Coalition, worked to pass a bill that would explicitly permit embryonic stem cell research in Connecticut. Though the legislation passed the Senate, a final bill was not enacted.

This year CURE and the Stem Cell Coalition have worked for the legislation's reintroduction. "Given the priority and funding that embryonic stem cell research has been given in other states," Pescatello underscored, "to be competitive, we see a multi-year state funding commitment as a critical new component to the legislation."

Currently, stem cell research is largely unregulated in Connecticut. "Passing legislation that expressly permits embryonic stem cell research while providing meaningful regulations will create a favorable environment for scientists," Pescatello said. "Connecticut's research universities and growing bioscience industry are among the most highly regarded anywhere. Their work with embryonic stem cells will ultimately bring new treatments and hopefully cures for a variety of today's most difficult to treat diseases, such as heart disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The legislation highlighted here today will help keep this research vanguard from being lured to other states."

CURE (http://www.curenet.org) is a statewide coalition of over 100 educational and research institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and other supporting businesses. It is dedicated to promoting the growth and increasing public understanding of biomedical research and science in Connecticut.

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