The defendants also allegedly falsely claimed that stem cell therapy is comparable or better than surgery, steroid injections, and painkillers in treating or preventing orthopedic ailments.
The FTC and Attorney General Carr asserted in the lawsuit that the defendants that their claims regarding stem cell therapy were not supported by clinical studies.
“Defendants have not conducted any randomized clinical testing of the treatments they advertise demonstrating that they are effective in curing, treating, or mitigating any orthopedic condition, disease, or health condition. Moreover, there are no studies in the scientific literature establishing that such advertised treatments are effective…,” according to the complaint.
Stem Cell Institute of America, its co-founders, and related entities allegedly targeted senior and retirement communities in their deceptive joint pain cure-all marketing scheme.
According to the FTC and Attorney General Carr, the defendants allegedly charged patients up to $5,000 per joint injection. Many patients receive more than one injection as part of their stem cell therapy program. The defendants allegedly started offering a stem cell therapy program in 2018.