ICMS Investigates RNL Bio

The ICMS announces that it has initiated an investigated into RNL Bio, a Korean biotech company. 

The International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS), the world's largest physician professional organization for cell therapies announced today it has initiated an investigation into RNL Bio, a Korean biotech company. The ICMS has started an inquiry after it was reported that two patients died after receiving stem cells from RNL to treat anti-aging.  While RNL participates in the ICMS Treatment Registry, ICMS was not accepting RNL ‘anti-aging’ patients into its patient registry.

"We are committed to investigating the cause of these deaths”, stated noted forensic epidemiologist Michael Freeman, Ph.D., M.P.H. Affiliate Professor at the Oregon Health Sciences University, president of the board of directors of the ICMS and noted author of many scientific papers on causation-the science of determining if an exposure (in this case a treatment) lead to a disease (in this case a complication). “Although these patients were not being tracked by the ICMS,” continued Freeman, “we feel an ethical obligation to investigate these deaths thoroughly, publicly and independently.” Dr. Freeman will lead the ICMS Treatment Registry Committee and will seek to obtain information from RNL Bio in order to assess whether the deaths were related to the stem cells used, the medical procedure that inserted the cells, or unrelated. Based on the findings of the Committee, appropriate action will be taken.

ICMS has asked for the full participation of RNL Bio in this investigation.