Across the United States, an expanding market exists for unapproved stem cell treatments, with clinics in states like Florida and Texas administering these therapies, often derived from umbilical cords, to patients including children as young as 18 months old for conditions like autism. These procedures, which can cost families tens of thousands of dollars—for example, $12,500 to $15,000 for a single round of treatment for autism—lack FDA approval and scientific evidence of efficacy, raising concerns about exploitation of desperate families.
Regulators and experts have characterized many of these offerings as scams, highlighting instances where these unproven therapies have led to serious harm, including blindness and bacterial infections. The FDA has repeatedly cautioned the public about the dangers of unproven and costly stem cell therapies.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Georgia Attorney General's Office successfully pursued legal action against the co-founders of the Stem Cell Institute of America and related companies. Steven D. Peyroux and Brent J. Detelich, former chiropractors, were banned from marketing stem cell therapy and ordered to pay over $5.1 million in refunds and civil penalties. Their scheme involved training other healthcare practitioners, including chiropractors, to deceptively market unproven stem cell therapies for conditions such as osteoarthritis, neuropathy, and joint pain, often targeting elderly and disabled individuals with treatments costing up to $5,000 per injection.
