ICMS Supports Texas Medical Board Ruling

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


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International Cell Medicine Society Supports Texas Medical Board

PORTLAND, OREGON – Monday, February 27, 2012. The International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS), a professional medical association dedicated to patient safety through the strict evaluation of cell-based therapies and the rigorous oversight of medical facilities and clinics expresses its support for the recent actions of the Texas Medical Board (TMB). The decision of the TMB to give preliminary approval to a set of rules for adult stem cell therapies in Texas, including Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and patient informed consent, is a strong first step in balancing physician innovation and patient safety.

The ICMS has spent the last three years providing global leadership in patient safety and adult cell-based medicine. Through its maintenance of an independent IRB, the publication of the only comprehensive set of guidelines for the practice of cell-based medicine and a global accreditation program for medical clinics and facilities, the ICMS has been an advocate for the oversight proposed by the TMB. “We applaud the ruling, says David Audley, executive director of the ICMS. “As a professional medical association the ICMS has been in the forefront of protecting patients. The ruling of the TMB is a validation of both the promise of these therapies as well as the need for strong, peer guided oversight.”

The ruling of the TMB is aligned with the basic tenets of the ICMS. The Society has developed a set of guidelines that mandate informed consent for patients, IRB approval for treatments, provide rules for patient recruitment, complication reporting and outcome tracking. These guidelines, while considerably more strict than the ruling of the TMB, are the basis for the global accreditation program that has become the mission of the Society. As part of this process, the ICMS has actively evaluated the practices of clinics worldwide and removed clinics and providers from the Society for failure to maintain compliance to its global standards.

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ABOUT THE ICMS

The ICMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional medical organization that is focused on the development of standards for the evaluation of point-of-care, cell-based therapeutics worldwide. With over 3,500 members from over 35 countries, the ICMS is a global leader in patient safety through strict evaluation of therapies and rigorous oversight of clinics and facilities providing cell-based medical therapies. The ICMS maintains an independent Institutional review Board and manages a comprehensive Treatment Registry that tracks patient outcomes. More information can be found at www.cellmedicinesociety.org,