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Introduction to the 2nd Edition
The International Cellular Medicine Society is a professional medical nonprofit association dedicated to the advancement of safe and effective stem cell therapies through education and peer oversight. Representing physicians and researchers from over 20 countries and on six continents, the ICMS is guided by volunteer Governing and Advisory Boards that publish best practice Standards and Guidelines for the collection, culturing and re-implantation of adult stem cells and provide oversight to a robust Treatment Registry of patient reported long term outcomes and complications tracking data from cell based medical treatments.
As part of its educational mandate, the ICMS publishes an annual Off Shore Stem Cell Clinic Survey Report to provide an apples-to-apples comparison of stem cells clinics across the world. The scope of the work is to compile a wide range of data, from cell source to procedure cost, that are critical to the evaluation of any treatment, and to present this data in an unbiased and comparative fashion. With 22 participating clinics from 13 countries, the 2nd Edition of this report is an ambitious, important and unparalleled survey. It is not, however, a complete survey. The data in this report is primarily collected by patients doing interviews with clinics. While this has been useful in teasing out important information about basic treatment procedures, it does not provide a complete view of the clinical or medical processes of the surveyed clinics. While we acknowledge the value of compiling data from clinical trials as an evaluative model, we choose to approach this report from an observational methodology in hopes of achieving a broader base of participation and a higher level of transparency. Our approach has been, from the beginning, to create an evolving survey report that would illuminate the stem cell treatment landscape from the patient’s perspective.
To accomplish this goal, we have made significant modifications from the original Off Shore Stem Cell Clinic Report published in 2009. Aside from more than doubling the number of clinics evaluated, provided a chart of treatments offered and developed levels for the evaluation for the complexity of the processing and implantation of stem cells. Combined, this collection of data serves to provide an even greater insight into the treatments options offered at each clinic.
Additionally, the we have identified those clinics that participate in the ICMS Open Treatment Registry. These clinics have agreed to allow the ICMS to provide long term follow up and tracking to monitor patient well being and report on treatment efficacy. Combined, these new levels of information give a far greater insight into the practices of these treatment centers.
This report also provides two unique perspectives on the importance of the evaluation of stem cells clinics: Barbara Hanson, the founder of Stem Cell Pioneers Forum writes of her experiences as a stem cell patient and Dr Christopher J Centeno, MD, the medical director of the ICMS and a pioneer in the field of stem cells therapies, leverages his experience and insights to speak on Vetting Stem Cell Clinics. These pieces provide both medical and personal bookends to define the importance of this report for patients and physicians.
David Audley Executive Director, ICMS
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Offshore Clinic Report
