The one story here discussed is about a stem cell operation in Tijuana, where an injection costs $25,000.00, yes that's a lot of money and the draw here was to eliminate the need for oxygen for the COPD patients. Some returned home with infections and ended up in the hospital and nobody got rid of their oxygen. Is this preying on an audience that is looking for a cure, I think so. All the marketing appears to be done right here in the US.
This is also done in the Caribbean from an individual who recruits patients from Malibu. Part of the recovery process might just be the belief that people have if they spend enough money that it has to work, but why not get clinically credentialed information. That is one of the reasons we have the FDA, so it is a big gamble to take without any real information and yet when it comes to our health, the most valuable thing we have, we all stand a chance of getting taken in it seems. BD
Fueled by demand from desperate patients, dozens of companies around the globe are peddling stem cell injections for $15,000 to $50,000 and more. Based merely on the claims made by these companies, at least a few thousand patients from the United States have paid for stem cells overseas. Patients dart across the border to Mexico or jet to the Caribbean, India, China and elsewhere for injections of stem cells from embryos, fetuses, umbilical cords and the patients' own fat, blood and bone marrow. These shots would be illegal in the United States, where the Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve any such treatments.
Because the companies operate offshore, they are not subject to the FDA's strict safety regulations. And because they collect little, if any, data, it's impossible to assess whether their treatments work.
Quackwatch, a Web site devoted to outing doctors practicing unsafe and unproven medicine, highlighted Rader and other overseas stem cell providers in 2006. "Their theories and methods are simplistic; their treatments may have adverse effects; they offer no credible outcome data; and their promises go far beyond what is now possible," wrote the site's founder, Stephen Barrett.
I was one of the people interviewed for the Washington Post's article on stem cells. I told the reporter up front that I am a great proponent of stem cell therapy and co founded www.stemcellpioneers.com We red flagged Stem Cell Biotherapy because of numerous complaints on our forum and considered this company to be a safety risk. We did ask for proof of certification for purity of the cells they use and also source information and the CEO, Mr. Nabavi was not forthcoming. I got treatment at this company and did become quite ill afterwards. I was told this had nothing to do with my treatment and believed it at the time. I no longer believe this and therefore was willing to speak out against poor quality treatments, but not against stem cell therapy in general. The article was poorly done in my opinion and some of the information was not accurate. There is a lot of stem cell therapy going on in the U.S. and also some excellent companies offering treatment at reasonable prices outside the U.S. I would have to question who wanted the story written in the first place as it doesn't seem to go far enough in exposing companies that aren't up to standards and it does nothing to touch on the good things happening with stem cell research or therapy. Barbara Hanson
ReplyDeleteYou are very right, there's a lot going on with stem cell research and part of the problem in the US are the restrictions put on the business, and that part we are stuck with.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your honesty and correcting the story too. I know I always want the correct items and issues mentioned myself.
Stem cell research in combination with genomics is just set to explode as the pace it is moving at is faster than what most of us are familiar with in the past. If you search around the blog here a bit you will find a lot of good articles I have posted about stem cell research, including a republish of the 60 minute segment on what's being done at the Howard Hughes Research center.
Thank you again for correcting what they didn't get right on the story.