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To: Venkie who wrote (40121)	8/9/2001 5:35:08 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 65232

Bush to Announce Decision on Stem Cell Research Thursday August 9 8:56 AM ET By Steve Holland WACO, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) has made up his mind about whether to allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and will announce the decision in a national address on Thursday night, the White House said. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) declined to say which way Bush had come down on the controversial issue, saying Bush ''wants to share his decision and the reasons for it directly with the American people.'' The White House has asked the major U.S. television networks for eight to 10 minutes of air time beginning at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday. Bush is on a monthlong vacation at his ranch in nearby Crawford. The debate pits those who believe stem cell research can lead to medical advances in a variety of illnesses against those opposed to any research that destroys human embryos. Stem cells are living cells which, in their early stages, have the ability to transform themselves into any type of cell in the body. They offer the potential of regenerating damaged organs or tissue. Many scientists believe stem cells can be used in treating brain maladies like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and spinal cord injuries. Religious and social conservatives who believe that life begins at conception oppose the idea because stem cells are typically obtained from human embryos that have been discarded during fertility treatments. Bush, a Methodist who opposes abortion, listened to voices on all sides of the issue in reaching his decision on whether researchers should receive federal funding. Pope John Paul (news - web sites) II, whom Bush met last month in Italy, has cautioned the president against the creation and destruction of human embryos for research, as have conservative Protestants who are also staunch abortion foes. A recent national USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll said 55 percent of Americans surveyed supported spending federal money for the research. DIFFICULT DECISION Fleischer said Bush had reached his decision with much deliberation. ``It's a difficult decision. As the president said this week, it represents the interface between science and ethics. It raises many ethical issues that our society is beginning to test and to understand,'' he said. Bush aides have consistently refused to say which way Bush is leaning on the subject. His wife Laura noted recently that ''a lot of those embryos will be destroyed anyway or disposed of anyway'' while adding that ``there's certainly a life side of it as well.'' U.S. Health and Human Services (news - web sites) Secretary Tommy Thompson, who supports federal funding for stem cell research, said in a television interview he was content with the president's decision. ``I'm fairly comfortable with the decision that the president is going to make and I am very confident that the American people will be as well,'' Thompson told NBC's ``Today'' show. Asked directly whether the president would support federal funding, he said. ``I do not know, that is going to have to be a decision by the president.'' The Clinton administration had approved guidelines that would have cleared the way for using federal funds on stem cell research. But in February Bush ordered a review of that policy and in April his administration canceled the first meeting of a panel at the National Institutes of Health (news - web sites) that would have considered research proposals for federal grants to study embryonic stem cells. On one side of the debate, celebrities including Parkinson's patient Michael J. Fox, diabetic Mary Tyler Moore and quadriplegic Christopher Reeve have testified before Congress about medical advances that might be made using embryonic stem cells. Opponents, notably the Catholic Church's Office of Pro-Life Activities, some abortion foes and several powerful anti-abortion members of Congress, have warned any research that destroys human embryos will not get their approval. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said last month that if Bush refused to authorize federal funding for stem cell research, he would push legislation in Congress to do so.

To: Venkie who wrote (40121)	8/9/2001 6:17:58 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 65232

Pixar Animation (PIXR) 40.30 -0.06: Company reports Q2 earnings of $0.17 per share; $0.04 better than the consensus estimate; reports Q2 revenues of 16.7 mln vs the consensus estimate of $14 mln; company raises full year guidance; sees earnings in the range of $0.50-$0.58 vs prior guidance in the range of $0.40-$0.55; current consensus estimate for the full year is for EPS of $0.55; see press release.

To: Venkie who wrote (40121)	8/9/2001 6:24:10 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 65232

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. Statement Regarding Federal Funding of Stem Cell Research August 09, 2001 4:39:00 PM ET - The Following is a Statement from R. Douglas Armstrong, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. Regarding Federal Funding for Stem Cell Research - ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- R. Douglas Armstrong, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. ASTM issued the following statement today regarding the issue of federal funding for stem cell research: The subject of federal funding for stem cell research has been highly visible in the media. Aastrom, a cell therapy products company, has often been included -- both correctly and incorrectly -- in these discussions. Given this association, and speculation as to the impact or role that this issue might have on Aastrom, the Company believes it important to clarify these issues. Aastrom's mission is to develop technology and products to make human cells available for medical procedures. Our efforts to date have focused on using our technology to grow larger quantities of the desired therapeutic cells from small starting amounts of cells or a tissue. Aastrom's cell production processes are based on using the natural reproductive capabilities of cells outside the body, without various cloning approaches. Aastrom's lead development efforts to date have used adult bone marrow and umbilical cord blood, which both contain stem cells. These stem cells appear to have some ability to both re-populate themselves and to form multiple types of tissue. Accordingly, they can be an important starting cell source for potential therapies in the treatment of diseases. For example, bone marrow and cord blood stem cells produced using Aastrom's technology have been able to restore normal blood, immune and marrow systems in some cancer patients. Aastrom has also initiated a clinical trial to evaluate the use of bone marrow stem cells in generating bone tissue in patients with severe osteoporosis. Other types of cell therapy do not require stem cells, but may be derived from more differentiated cell types. For example, immune system cells called dendritic cells, can be grown from blood cells to be used as cancer vaccines. This type of cell therapy is being evaluated in different clinical trials around the world, and Aastrom is also active in this field. The issue of federal support for embryonal research has no direct impact on the current product programs of Aastrom. Our programs use bone marrow, cord blood and blood cells as starting sources of cells. Recent focus on stem cells derived from embryonal tissue has raised public awareness that cells can be used to treat disease. Although there are already some very exciting therapeutic approaches using cells, this is truly only the beginning. Research is needed to understand how to produce specific types of cells with the biological activity necessary for a particular treatment. For example, producing cells to repair a damaged nerve requires a very different approach than producing cells to repair bone. Researchers need to learn more about the biological instructional pathways of cells to optimize these therapies. Funding to support all types of cell therapy research, whether it be bone marrow or cord blood stem cells, or more mature cell types, with or without embryonal stem cells, should lead to exciting new near-term therapies. It is Aastrom's business to develop products that will allow these important cells to be moved from the research laboratory into standard medical practice. Aastrom is a leader in the development of proprietary cell therapeutics and cell products based on its dual-technology platforms: patented "single- pass perfusion" providing cells with enhanced biological function, and patented GMP-compliant system automation facilitating the delivery of cells for therapeutic use into medical practice. These technologies are integrated into the AastromReplicell(TM) System that is designed to uniquely standardize and automate the processes involved in producing high quality therapeutic cells. Aastrom is developing the Dendricell(TM) products for use in the dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine market, and the OC-I bone progenitor cell product for the treatment of degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis. The AastromReplicellTM System, the SC-I bone marrow stem cell product and the CB-I cord blood cell product have received CE Mark approval necessary for European marketing and are in late-stage U.S. clinical trials. These products are not available for sale at this time in the U.S., except for research or investigational use. Please visit our website at aastrom.com. This document contains forward-looking statements, including without limitation, statements regarding product development objectives, and potential advantages and applications of the AastromReplicellTM System, which involve certain risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are also identified through use of the words "may," "potential," and other words of similar meaning. Actual results may differ significantly from the expectations contained in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that may result in differences are the results obtained from clinical trial and development activities, the availability of resources, evaluations and decisions made by potential strategic collaborators, regulatory approval requirements, and development of competing technologies. These and other significant factors are discussed in greater detail in Aastrom's Annual Report on Form-10K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Todd E. Simpson VP Finance & Administration, CFO of Aastrom Biosciences, Inc., +1- 734-930-5777; or Media - Glenn Silver, +1-212-696-4455, ext. 271, or Investors - David Walsey, +1-212-696-4455, ext. 230 both of Noonan-RussoCommunications, Inc. MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here tbutton.prnewswire.com © 2001 PRNewswire