Archive for the ‘Stem Cell Industry’ Category

Apr 22, 2022

Medicare Crackdown on Illegal Stem Cell Therapies

Posted by Bob under Stem Cell Industry

Though we are a veterinary stem cell company, we always keep up with regenerative medicine news and breakthroughs in human medicine. As a leader in government compliant stem cell therapy treatments, we were not surprised to learn that in February, Medicare announced that it will recoup all the money it paid physicians, going back two years, for dubious birth tissue injections. Without any evidence of efficacy, birth tissue and exosome products were marketed by orthopedic and chiropractic clinics to their patients for indications such as longevity, pain, chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease, and Lyme disease, as well as numerous other chronic degenerative diseases.

On December 6th, 2019, the FDA issued a Public Safety Notification on Exosome Products to inform the public of multiple recent reports of serious adverse events experienced by patients in Nebraska who were treated with unapproved products marketed as containing exosomes. Despite this warning, these clinics continued to deceive patients and practice administering the unapproved cell treatments. 

Our commitment is to always maintain the highest standards for both patients and government regulators. At VetStem and our human company, Personalized Stem Cells, we take pride in our business model of providing elevated quality and safety of our stem cell products for both animal and human patients. It is important to note that our manufacturing facilities are FDA manufacturing compliant and have both FDA tissue establishment registration and a California tissue bank license.

CEO and Founder, Dr. Bob Harman, stated, “We continue to build patient centric cell-based businesses around scientifically and medically validated disease indications and treatments, always in compliance with federal and state guidelines. As the industry continues to mature and more products become approved by the FDA, our strong regulatory team and patent estate builds for the continued success of both companies and supports the reputation of the cell therapy industry.”

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Apr 1, 2022

VetStem Reaches New Stem Cell Processing Milestone

As leaders in the field of regenerative veterinary medicine, we are proud to announce that we have reached a new stem cell processing milestone. VetStem has processed over 15,000 patient samples resulting in over 35,000 stem cell treatments for animals across the United States and Canada. Over 2,200 veterinarians have utilized VetStem Cell Therapy processing services for their patients.

Dr. Bernadine Cruz treats her patient, Nikita, with an IV dose of her own stem cells.

The majority of these treatments have been for orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis as well as injured tendons and ligaments in dogs, cats, and horses. We have also provided cell therapy services for patients with alternate conditions such as renal disease, inflammatory bowel disease, gingivostomatitis, spinal conditions, and more as part of our clinical research programs.

While most know that we primarily work with domestic animals, we also work with multiple exotic animal organizations and their programs to provide stem cell therapy for several exotic species. To date, nearly 200 exotic animals have been treated. Those animals include elephants, cheetahs, rhinos, several species of bears, giraffes, penguins, dolphins and more.

We are very proud to be leaders in this field of cutting-edge medicine. And we look forward to what the future holds! That being said, we wouldn’t be where we are without all of YOU, our pet owners and veterinary clients, who have trusted VetStem to handle your pets’ and patients’ stem cells over the past nearly two decades. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

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Mar 22, 2019

Veterinarian Highlight: Dr. Holly Mullen DVM, DACVS

This week we present another veterinarian highlight telling about her experiences with Regenerative Veterinary Medicine!  Dr. Holly Mullen is a Regenerative Veterinary Medicine proponent and also happens to be right in our backyard in San Diego, California.  Dr. Mullen is a board-certified surgeon who works at VCA Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center.  Dr. Mullen received her DVM from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1985.  She then went on to complete an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City (AMC) followed by a residency in small animal surgery also at AMC.  She received her board certification in veterinary surgery in 1990 and was staff surgeon at AMC until joining her current hospital in 1995.

Dr. Mullen has been offering VetStem Cell Therapy since 2007 and has provided stem cell services for over 60 stem cell patients.  She has also been utilizing Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy (V-PET™) since 2015.

  1. Explain why you’re a big proponent of VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy.

Regenerative medicine (stem cells and PRP [platelet rich plasma]) is an important part of my surgery practice.  VetStem’s excellent customer relations, high quality control and careful processing and storage of the cells are a few of the many reasons I feel very comfortable using this company for my patient’s stem cell needs. Regenerative medicine offers a new frontier for minimally invasive, effective and safe treatments for many diseases and conditions. I offer stem cell therapy to the majority of my orthopedic surgical patients and arthritic patients, but it can also be used to help patients with medical conditions such as kidney, liver, bowel and skin diseases. I have offered stem cell therapy as a treatment modality since 2007, after taking the VetStem Credentialing Course for veterinarians. Since then, I have been very pleased with the high rate of successful response to treatment in my dog and cat patients; over 95% of my patients have had excellent responses to treatment. I have also participated in stem cell therapy in both a sea lion and a sun bear, with similarly good results. I am a big proponent of VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy because I see the huge positive difference it makes in the lives of my patients and their families.

  1. Please describe your ideal stem cell patient- what criteria must they meet in order to recommend stem cell therapy?

The ideal stem cell patient is a dog or cat who is suffering from a condition that we know stem cells can help with. They should be healthy enough to undergo the brief anesthetic procedure to harvest the fat from which the stem cells will be extracted. They also should not have conditions such as severe muscle atrophy that might prevent them from having a good response to treatment. Some patients with advanced cancers, in very debilitated body condition, and/or multiple serious medical concerns may not be good candidates for stem cell therapy. While often results seem miraculous, stem cell therapy cannot “cure everything”. However, dogs and cats with significant arthritis can walk comfortably, chronic wounds and fractures can heal, and post-op joint surgery patients can walk sooner and be more comfortable after having regenerative therapy.

  1. What advice can you offer pet owners considering stem cell therapy for their pet?

My advice is to educate yourself now about stem cell therapy and ask your veterinarian if it would help your pet. Also, give stem cell therapy a try if your veterinarian recommends it! It is safe and effective, almost all patients have very good results and it may reduce or prevent the need for other standard medications or even surgical procedures in some cases. Be sure to visit the VetStem web site for a thorough explanation of stem cell and PRP therapies; don’t miss the testimonials to read how other pet parent’s experiences have been. Ask your friends and relatives if they have had regenerative medicine treatments themselves; a portion of my patients were brought to me by owners who knew someone, or themselves had had stem cell or PRP therapy with positive results and wanted the same for their pet. Regenerative Cell Therapy is amazing!

We appreciate Dr. Mullen taking her time to participate in this week’s veterinarian highlight!  If you are in the San Diego area and are looking for an experienced stem cell provider, Dr. Mullen is an excellent choice!  As she stated, she has had many successful stem cell and platelet therapy cases including Knuckles and Pearl.  (And did you catch that part about working with a sun bear?!  Stay tuned for some exciting news…)

Dr. Holly Mullen

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Sep 14, 2018

Regenerative Medicine Experts Meet at NAVRMA Conference

Last week I attended a veterinary regenerative medicine conference in Sacramento, California.  The North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association (NAVRMA) was founded in 2010 to bring together the best minds in the stem cell world to discuss research findings and share perspectives on how stem cells can provide treatment options for animals.  Over 100 of the key veterinary stem cell scientists and practitioners met and were educated by the academic and scientific leaders of stem cell research.  I was an invited speaker and was also asked to lead a workshop focused on the education of veterinarians about being a clinical study investigator.  On Sunday, September 9th, I presented ground-breaking stem cell safety data from the VetStem Research and Development program as part of our FDA product development.

Lectures ranged from clinical applications to basic science and discovery of how stem cells work and how they can best be applied to solve veterinary disease challenges.  Included in the program were talks on kidney disease, arthritis and lameness, and many immune-mediated diseases.  The keynote lecture by human doctor Farshid Guilak from Washington University focused on new discoveries of how we can modify stem cells for even better disease-fighting power.  Very cutting-edge work!

VetStem is proud to be in the forefront in bringing cell therapy into the hands of the practicing veterinarian and we are grateful to the many horse and pet owners that have trusted stem cell therapy for the care of their beloved animals.  I have been a regular speaker at the NAVRMA meetings and this meeting, as in the past, has provided opportunities to collaborate with stem cell enthusiasts around the world with the goal of bringing the healing power of regenerative medicine to our animals in the most rapid manner.

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Jun 29, 2018

Veterinarian Treats Her Own Dog with Stem Cells

Cooper is a 6-year-old Labrador retriever owned by Dr. Valerie Warmuth of Red Hills Veterinary Hospital.  When Cooper was around 4 years old, he began to show signs of osteoarthritis in his hips.  His hind limbs were becoming lame and he was slowing down on walks.  Dr. Warmuth had started Cooper on NSAIDs but knew this would not solve the issue and that the medicine came with potential dangerous side effects.

She decided to try VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy.  She had recently become VetStem credentialed and Cooper was her first stem cell patient.  Within the first 30 days after treatment, Cooper’s lameness decreased.  Three months after treatment, X-rays revealed improvement in his hip joints.

We recently checked back in with Dr. Warmuth and she reported that Cooper is still doing well and enjoys playing with his canine brothers.

You can read the rest of Cooper’s story here.

Cooper is one of many dogs that have had successful results with VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy.  You can read more stories like Cooper’s here.  If you think your dog may benefit from stem cell therapy, contact us today to receive a list of veterinary stem cell providers in your area.

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May 11, 2018

Dr. Bob Harman Speaks at Stem Cell Conference in Costa Rica

Posted by Bob under Stem Cell Industry

Two weeks ago, there was an historic international stem cell meeting for veterinarians in Costa Rica.  I was an invited speaker to provide an overview of the last 20 years of veterinary stem cell research and clinical use.  Senior veterinarians from Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica and the United States attended for two full days of lectures and discussions.  There was a large focus on dogs and cats and how stem cells are being used to successfully treated arthritis, eye diseases, kidney failure and many others.  It was exciting to see that the use of stem cells in our animals has expanded around the globe and that we have colleagues everywhere that are expanding the field.

Additionally, an international veterinary stem cell association was formed, IACERVET (International Association of Cellular and Regenerative Veterinary Therapies).  There are members from around the world including Europe.  I have been asked to serve as a founding member and to serve on the guiding board of directors.  This is an amazing step towards efficient sharing of knowledge and improving care of animals!

Attached is a picture or Dr. Michelle Andrade, Dr. Natalia Luka, Dr. Luciana Benedetti, Dr. Bob Harman, and Dr. Priscilla Ortiz (association president) all founding members, signing the official association formation documents in San Jose Costa Rica.

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Mar 23, 2018

Koda, a Labrador, Receives Relief From Stem Cell Therapy

Koda was about 9 years old when his owners noticed he was limping and his left elbow was swollen.  X-rays revealed that Koda had arthritis as a result of elbow dysplasia.  Dr. Douglas Stramel at Advanced Care Veterinary Services recommended VetStem Cell Therapy and Koda received an injection of his own stem cells into his problematic elbow as well as intravenously.

In addition to stem cell therapy, Koda also received physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care and the combination of therapies led to an improved quality of life.  According to his owner, Koda became happier and more playful.  She noted, “Koda can now go up and down the stairs when he wants to and not struggle. He had been hesitant to go on walks for a period of time prior to the stem cell therapy but now there is no hesitation.”

You can read the rest of Koda’s story here.

If your dog has been diagnosed with arthritis, stem cell therapy may provide some relief.  Consult with your veterinarian or  to find a veterinary stem cell provider in your area.

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Jan 19, 2018

Global Leaders in Stem Cell Therapy Meet in San Francisco

Last week the largest gathering in the world on healthcare convened in San Francisco. The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) held its annual “State of the Industry” talk that reviewed 2017 and previewed 2018. It was, without doubt, the most exciting such update since ARM began this briefing.

The briefing on 2017 showed not one, but three cell therapy approvals! Although these cell therapies are directed at cancer therapy, they are cell therapy and showed that the FDA is willing to fast-track really legitimate new cell products. Perhaps more exciting to us in the adult stem cell area is the recommendation by a European Medicines committee to approve the first adipose-derived stem cell therapy for human Crohn’s Disease! This is the same type of cell therapy product that VetStem is testing for approval in veterinary medicine. This would be a first in Europe for people!

The briefing also previewed 2018 with the prospect for more approvals and they stated they expect 40 new cell products in the next five years.

VetStem is proud to be in the forefront in bringing cell therapy into the hands of the practicing veterinarian and we are grateful to the many owners who have trusted VetStem to provide Regenerative Cell Therapy for arthritis and tendon and ligament injuries for their beloved animals.

You can watch the Cell & Gene Therapies State of the Industry Briefing here.

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Nov 28, 2012

Can Dog Paralysis be Cured by Regenerative Medicine?

Posted by Bob under Dog Stem Cells, Stem Cell Industry

I am guessing that you might have heard about the exciting data about dogs with damaged spinal cords that were treated with regenerative medicine. As with all science, the devil is in the details.  Cure is a BIG concept.  The group in England presented data in the journal  Brain showing that a stem-like cell from the nervous tissue in the nose could be injected in the damaged spinal cord of dogs.  These cells apparently helped make connections between the rear and front feet to allow a more coordinated walking movement.  It is difficult to see from the single video (this might have been the best one) to tell how much the dogs were helped.  They do state that the dogs did not regain bowel or bladder control. This study was for the purpose of deciding if this therapy could some day help humans. For us, we are excited because it may help our four legged friends.

The dog in the video improved over six months to be able to walk with the hind legs mostly following the front.  It is a major advance, but far from a cure for paralysis.  The authors are realistic in stating: “..this intervention alone is unlikely to have appreciable benefits in the treatment of human spinal cord injury…”  The therapy helps the rear legs follow the front legs without re-connecting to the brain.  It would not likely help with the more complicated activities such as bladder control, hand motion, or sexual function.

Another interesting possibility presented by the authors is that “the precise type of cells in the transplant is not critical to the success of mucosal-derived transplants.”  Vet-Stem is exploring with the authors whether adipose stem cells might provide a similar benefit, as was shown in an article by Dr. Ryu (click here for link).

Science always brings hope, but it is important to realize the time lag of translating clinical trial data into real therapy for affected animals or humans.  We will update you as we determine if this method might be useful to our dog buddies in the near term.

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Oct 22, 2012

Human Crohn’s Disease Trial Reports

Posted by Bob under Dog Arthritis, Stem Cell Industry

Human stem cell therapy succeeds!  As part of providing insights into the world of dog arthritis, I think it is useful for you to see what all is happening in the human stem cell world.  Crohn’s disease is a horrible auto-immune disease where the lower GI tract is being attacked by the person’s own immune system.  A group in Spain has been working for a number of years treating patients with this disease with adipose stem cell therapy.  There is a great report of clinical trial you should all see (link: Crohn’s Trial Results) where more than half of these patients had a great response to being treated with adipose stem cells.  There are so many new trials around the world using stem cell from fat tissue that it is hard to keep up with the literature.  Proudly, I believe that the success with using adipose stem cells to treat dog arthritis, like Tucker’s Story,  has helped generate interest and to show the safety of this type of therapy.

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