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Comments and Observation on RNL

Comments and Observations

On RNL Opening of the World’s Largest Stem Cell Clinic

November 17, 2011

 

The ICMS believes that caution is warranted as RNL announces the opening of the world’s largest stem cell center in Beijing, China. As a professional medical association, and a society committed to patient safety and the safe clinical translation of point of care cell-based therapies, we are concerned about the opening of this clinic. RNL was investigated by the ICMS in November, 2010, after it was reported that two patients died after receiving stem cell treatments from RNL. While the investigation concluded that it was unlikely that the cells caused the death, our inquiry uncovered several elements of their practice, including a lack of institutional review or ethics board oversight, failure to provide patient candidacy grading, pre-treatment evaluation of the patients or informed consent that we felt needed to be addressed. The ICMS provided RNL with a set of recommendations to come into compliance withth ICMS's standards for the practice of medicine. 

While we believe that RNL approaches each treatment based on good patient care, we hope that with the opening of the Beijing clinic that the company will provide greater transparency about thier practices and therapies.