A new study finds that consumers are marketing stem cell and exosome treatments for COVID-19, especially long-term COVID-19, despite the lack of approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other U.S. regulatory agencies. 38 direct sales companies were identified. Business description and marketing strategy analysis stem cell report.
Thirty-eight companies operated or facilitated access to 60 clinics, most of them in the United States and Mexico, the authors said. These companies offer web-based services such as “Stem Cell Coronavirus Treatment,” “Stem Cell Clinic to Treat COVID-19,” and “Exosome Therapy for COVID-19.” Identified by your search.
Treatment costs can reach $25,000
Once a company was identified, researchers at the University of California, Irvine tracked the number of clinics the company operated and searched for the company on social media sites and platforms.
Of the 60 clinics listed on the websites of the identified companies, 24 (40%) are located in the United States, 22 (37%) in Mexico, and 4 (7%) in Ukraine. , 2 (3%) were located in Ukraine. Cayman Islands. Guatemala, Malaysia, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Spain, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates each had one clinic (approximately 2% per country).
Thirty-six of the 38 companies market their stem cell and exosome products as treatments for long-term COVID-19 infections, six promote them as “immunity boosters” and five promote them for patients during the acute stage of infection. While claiming to be therapeutic, the two companies claimed their products were preventive.
Twenty companies (53%) sold mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood or tissue, and 16 companies (42%) sold exosomes. Treatment delivery varied, with 58% using intravenous drips and 21% claiming to have sprayed the product. According to the authors, 11 companies (29%) did not disclose how their products were managed.
Only nine companies explicitly advertise the cost of their services, with the cheapest treatment costing $2,950. The highest cost was $25,000, and the average cost for patients listed was $11,322.
Targeting long-term coronavirus patients
Almost all online and social media ads were aimed at alleviating long-term COVID-19 symptoms, such as brain fog and fatigue.
Patients who are targeted by such propaganda are especially vulnerable.
“Patients who are targeted by such claims are particularly vulnerable,” said lead author Dr. Lee Turner, professor of bioethics in the Department of Health, Society, and Behavior at the University of California, Irvine, in Cell Press. stated in a press release. Magazine publisher.
“They are suffering, and in some cases have been suffering for a long time, making them extremely susceptible to misleading marketing representations and persuasive marketing pitches.”
In the study's conclusion, the authors write that vulnerable patients will continue to be exploited by online businesses until evidence of effectiveness is studied and approved by regulators.
“Further clinical studies will demonstrate the safety of certain stem cell-based interventions and exosome products in relation to the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 to justify premarket approval or emergency use authorization by national regulatory authorities.” and whether they are supported by sufficient evidence of efficacy,” the authors write. I have written. “Without such evidence, patients are vulnerable to exploitation by companies using direct-to-consumer online advertising to make convincing but unwarranted claims about the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. ”
