HHS terminates fetal tissue research contract after outcry from anti-abortion groups

.

Health and Human Services has terminated an agreement with a fetal tissue research facility that was providing fetal tissue to the Food and Drug Administration.

HHS said late Monday that it canceled the contract with the company, Advanced Bioscience Resources, because it didn’t include “appropriate protections” for fetal tissue procurement. The agency’s statement did not go into specifics.

The agency said in a statement that it has “initiated a comprehensive review of all research involving fetal tissue to ensure consistency with statutes and regulations governing such research.”

The FDA signed a contract with Advanced Bioscience Resources in June to acquire fetal tissue for research into creating mice with human immune systems. A group of more than 30 anti-abortion groups wrote to HHS earlier this month calling for an end to the contract.

The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony’s List, one of the groups to sign on to the letter, called on HHS Secretary Alex Azar to end all fetal tissue research.

“Canceling a single contract and conducting a review is a small step forward, but overall is completely inadequate,” said president Marjorie Dannenfelser in a statement.

Fetal tissue research became the subject of major controversy several years ago after undercover videos from anti-abortion activists showed Planned Parenthood discussing the harvesting of fetal tissue and its provision to research facilities, including Advanced Bioscience.

It is illegal under federal law to profit off the sale of fetal tissue.

Planned Parenthood charged that the videos, released by anti-abortion activist David Daleiden, were taken out of context. It said that it only asks for a reimbursement from fetal tissue research facilities for transportation costs.

Several state investigations looked into Planned Parenthood and found no lawbreaking.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra charged Daleiden in March 2017 for posing as a fetal tissue researcher and secretly recording conversations at a convention of the National Abortion Federation. But those charges were eventually dismissed, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The House created a special panel in 2015 to look into the undercover videos against Planned Parenthood.

Related Content

Related Content