Advanced Cell Technology media strategy “nothing but hype” to raise funds
WASHINGTON, November 27, 2001 (LSN.ca) – Following the announcement of the production of the world’s first human clones Sunday, condemnations of the practice came quickly from the US President and the Vatican and was followed by a host of other groups. Pro-life and pro-family groups heaped the act with criticism and condemnation of the move came from various religious groups as well.
The Russian Orthodox Church condemned the research from Moscow saying, “We condemn therapeutic, as well as reproductive, cloning because the embryo from the moment of conception can be considered the carrier of human dignity and blessed with the gift of life. Father Antony Ilyin, an official representative of the Moscow Patriarchate, said, “In canon law, the destruction of embryos is tantamount to abortion and that means murder.” The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Lutherans for Life both condemned the research and called for legislation to ban it.
In Brussels, European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin said, “Not everything scientifically possible and technologically feasible is necessarily desirable or admissible.” The president of the Association of German Doctors, Joerg-Dietrich Hoppe, said the new cloning experiments were “unethical and testify to a horrifyingly low estimation of human life.”
While the condemnations continued to flow, various biotech companies heavily invested in the research defended ‘therapeutic cloning’. Moreover, controversial scientist Severino Antinori was upset that the US company had stolen his thunder and vowed to produce a cloned human embryo within four to six months. In the same vein, a Canadian UFO cult linked to a secretive cloning company said it was actually the first group to clone humans. Reuters reports that Claude Vorilhon, the 54-year-old former sports writer now known as Rael who founded a religious movement based on the premise that life on earth was genetically created by visiting extra-terrestrials, reacted to the news of the human cloning Monday. Vorilhon said he is “Very happy, and a bit amused because we did that some time ago.”
Speaking Monday on NBC’s “Today” show Michael West, CEO of Advanced Cell Technology – the company which announced the creation of a human clone – said “I consider myself pro-life, by the way, and I do not see this as a pro-life issue at all.” US Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) in a comment that could serve as a an apt rejoinder said, “Mad scientists are still mad scientists no matter how white their lab coats are and how many bioethicists they hire to justify their actions.”
An number of commentators have noted that Advanced Cell Technology is a master at generating media attention in order to raise funds. The Nov. 27 New York times quotes West as saying “We’re going to require hundreds of millions in investments before we become profitable.” Stuart Newman, a member of the Council for Responsible Genetics, is quoted by Wired Magazine as stating “I think they’re mainly trying to bring attention to the company and break down certain barriers so (embryonic cloning) can occur in the future with less public attention and outrage”. Wired also reports that Professor Ian Wilmut, of the Roslin Institute, Scotland stated “Frankly, the fact that the company is announcing this now suggests it needs the publicity for refinancing”. Glenn McGee, a former member of the company’s ethics board called the company press release “nothing but hype”.
See related coverage from Reuters, AP, NY Times and Wired Magazine: https://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011126/sc/science_clone_reaction_dc_2.html https://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011126/sc/science_clone_russia_dc_1.html https://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011127/od/cult_dc_1.html https://mirror.icnetwork.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=11446269&method=full https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/27/health/27EMBR.html?todaysheadlines https://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,48629,00.html