WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 25, 2010 – The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the political voice for regenerative medicine, recently met with the federal Multi-Agency Tissue Engineering Science Interagency Working Group (MATES IWG) to present its agenda. ARM is actively seeking to build bridges with federal agencies and congress to promote policies that address the unique challenges and opportunities in regenerative medicine. ARM’s comprehensive agenda encompasses funding, policy, regulation, reimbursement, communication and education.
“As a forum for exchange between fourteen different federal agencies with an interest in tissue engineering, it’s essential that MATES be familiar with our objectives,” said ARM chairman John Walker, Chief Executive Officer of iPerian. “This meeting gave us the opportunity to introduce ARM, express support for the work being done in tissue engineering by MATES IWG agencies, and begin to explore common ground.
“In the coming year, ARM will continue to represent the voice of regenerative medicine, with a focus on growing membership, introducing legislation, increasing our sphere of influence, and promoting understanding and awareness of regenerative medicine among policy makers and the public,” said Mr. Walker.“The evidence shows that regenerative medicine has the potential to dramatically improve human health, reduce the burden of chronic disease, and contribute to economic growth, but advocacy and public education are needed if we’re going to realize these benefits,” said ARM Executive Committee member Steven Nichtberger, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tengion, who participated in the MATES IWG meeting. “This was an important first step toward coalescing unified support around the cause of regenerative medicine.”
Formed in late 2009, ARM represents a diverse membership that includes academic research institutes, biotechnology companies, patient groups, pharmaceutical companies and service providers. ARM carries out its mission through four committees: Executive, Government Relations & Policy, Regulatory & Reimbursement, as well as Communication & Education.
The Multi-Agency Tissue Engineering Science (MATES) Interagency Working Group (IWG), organized under the auspices of the Subcommittee on Biotechnology of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), was established in 2000. The principal purpose of the MATES IWG is to provide a platform across which member agencies can interact and exchange information on tissue engineering efficiently and effectively. It is the means by which Federal agencies involved in tissue engineering stay informed of each other’s activities and coordinate their efforts in a timely and efficient manner. MATES is chaired by Dr. Christine Kelley from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the NIH; participating agencies include: The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Naval Research Laboratory (NSF), Department of Commerce, Department of Defense (DoD), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization that promotes legislative, regulatory and reimbursement initiatives necessary to facilitate access to life-giving advances in regenerative medicine. ARM also works to increase public understanding of the field and its potential to transform human healthcare, and provides services to support the growth of its member companies and organizations. Prior to the formation of ARM, there was no advocacy organization operating in Washington, DC to specifically represent the interests of regenerative medicine companies, research institutions, investors, and patient groups supporting more rapid adoption of technologies in our field. To learn more about ARM or to become a member, click here.
