The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent an untitled letter to R3 Stem Cell, LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona, and its chief executive officer, David Greene, M.D. The company, through its affiliated centers or clinics throughout the U.S., offers unapproved stem cell products to treat a variety of diseases and conditions, such as Lyme disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, kidney failure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The products offered by R3 Stem Cell, LLC are not approved by the FDA.
The FDA has notified each of R3 Stem Cell, LLC’s more than 50 affiliate centers or clinics of this action.
“We continue to see companies and individuals use questionable marketing campaigns to take advantage of vulnerable patients and their families with unproven claims about their unapproved stem cell products. The reality is that at this time, there isn’t enough evidence to support the use of stem cells for purposes other than reconstitution of blood formation and the immune system,” said FDA Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. “We’ve made it clear to the industry and the public that while we are taking a risk-based approach to regulatory actions, the FDA will continue to protect patients from the most egregious actors in this field. We will prioritize appropriate regulatory actions against those who place people’s health at risk by promoting unapproved products.”
