The advertisements promised relief from pain through stem cell injections or IVs administered in patients’ homes. This appeal was strong because more than 20% of U.S. adults suffer from chronic pain.
Flyers invited people in Iowa to attend free dinners statewide. Afterward, salespeople visited their homes for intense sales pitches disguised as pre-screenings, as stated by prosecutors.
Over 250 individuals signed up, paying between $3,200 and $20,000 each, totaling $1.5 million. In return, a nurse practitioner visited their homes to administer stem cell injections and IVs made from umbilical cord-derived stem cells.
However, experts and regulators have criticized such treatments as scams, ripoffs, or unproven. Some studies have even documented harmful effects.
Last autumn, Iowa’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against two individuals responsible for the mailings in the state. They included a Minnesota man who hosts a Christian entrepreneurship podcast and his business partner in Florida. They were accused of deceiving consumers, many of whom were elderly.
Brenna Bird speaks in a campaign (Via Mia Clark/Shutterstock)
Iowa joined several other states, including New York, North Dakota, Georgia, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Washington, in suing businesses for allegedly promoting fraudulent and unproven stem cell treatments.
Stem cells have intrigued researchers for their ability to reproduce and potentially transform into other types of cells, offering hope for treating various diseases and injuries. However, the FDA has only approved a few stem cell therapies for specific types of blood cancer and immune disorders. For most applications, stem cell treatments are experimental, despite being marketed as a remedy for conditions ranging from autism to sports injuries and emphysema.
The FDA has repeatedly cautioned the public about the risks of unapproved, unproven, and costly stem cell therapies, which have occasionally led to blindness, bacterial infections, and tumors.
