To quote Letterman: "Is this something, or is this nothing?"

On Wednesday, Bayer Biological Products announced "the creation of an independent bioethics advisory body, the Bayer International Bioethics Advisory Council (BIBAC). The newly developed council, the first privately-funded international council of its kind, is dedicated to exploring and developing recommendations on ethical issues associated with biological products, such as those produced from blood plasma." Here's the background:

BIBAC is an expanded, international version of the highly successful former Canadian bioethics council, called the Bayer Advisory Council on Bioethics (BACB). Established in 1997 in response to Canadian public concerns about the safety and availability of blood and plasma, the BACB quickly established itself as a credible authority providing valuable counsel in dealing with the complex blood-related issues of the time. In fact, its inaugural paper, "Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Blood and Blood Products: A Bioethical Framework" contributed to significant policy decisions in both Canada and the United States.

BIBAC's first paper can be viewed on the BIBAC Web site at www.BIBAC.org.