Stem Cell Treatment, WARNING
A Revolutionary Treatment or a Con Man's Scam
Aired on BBC Radio 4 and Newsnight television an investigative programme entitled "The Stem Cell Swindle" claimed that stem cells on sale were a fraud, a sham, a scam, could not possibly work, and that ACT was exploiting vulnerable patients. "It is a fraudulent therapy being peddled to Britons".
Biomark International and Advanced Cell Therapeutics (ACT) are allegedly the same company, operated by the same two people. Former catwalk model Laura Brown and businessman Stephen van Rooyen face 51 fraud charges in the USA and are on the FBI's wanted list. Biomark International was closed down by the USA's Food & Drug Administration following the fraud charges.
The couple are believed to have made hundreds of thousands of dollars from their so-called stem cell "treatments". They are further accused of plagiarising the work of established stem cell scientists and using the names of doctors on their medical board without permission.
An American patient who had travelled to Canada to receive the Biomark treatment, it is illegal in the USA, realised it was, in his words: "a load of baloney", and reported them to the FDA. The FDA set up a sting operation to try and catch Brown and van Rooyen, but by the time they raided the offices the couple had fled the country.
ACT have been buying cord blood stem cells from California, storing them in the UK as a staging point, then shipping them to clinics in Europe and Africa where doctors inject them into their patients.
In Cape Town, Newsnight interviewed Dr Catherine Orridge, who was the medical director of ACT until she became suspicious about the source of the stem cells. She saw the AllCells name on a vial, contacted the company, and was horrified to discover the cells should be used for research purposes only. She was concerned about potential health risks as these cells contain animal proteins, and put the patients in danger of an allergic reaction and possible anaphylactic shock.
The company storing the cells in the UK was CryoStore and their manager, Malcolm Wilkinson, said that they were informed by ACT that these cells were for research purposes. After seeking advice from the UK's Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and learning of the FBI's interest in the matter, Crysostore severed all links with ACT.
Laura Brown and Stephen van Rooyen have no medical qualifications but are still peddling their brand of untested treatment across Europe. The Dutch authorities are investigating the legality of ACT's clinic as are the Irish Medicine Board for a clinic in Cork.
Stem cell scientists see enormous potential benefit for medicine from stem cells in the future. But they say it is simply a false hope to use cord blood stem cells in the vast majority of conditions ACT claims.
ACT have refuted all of these claims, as might be expected, and have issued a statement defending their position.
References
BBC Radio 4 Clinic Peddles false hope of cure
BBC Newsnight Stem cell treatment warning
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