Quick summary of the article and review of the lawsuit. Stem cells and other cell therapies are an unproven approach to chronic lung diseases such as COPD, emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis. The Lung Health Institute claims that its cell therapy approach produces real results for patients with lung disease. My research suggests that there is little good published data to support this claim.
As a biologist, I am also concerned about the supposed justification for this approach. There are also obvious risks and the procedures are expensive. You should consult your physician, preferably a pulmonologist. More broadly, the American Lung Association and other organisations recommend against the use of stem cells for lung disease at this time.
This is a multi-location business, do you need to find a different location? Some places claim that intravenous injections of forms of PRP as in the case of the Lung Health Institute or stem cells can help respiratory problems, while others promote what might generally be called inhalation (or airway infusion) of stem cells or at least materials that supposedly contain stem cells. This left me a little perplexed by the Lung Health Institute's marketing verbiage, including the statement quoted above. In court, the Lung Health Institute has denied allegations of deceptive and unfair practices. Even in a booming industry long denounced by medical experts, the Lung Health Institute has been singled out for aggressive marketing and unproven claims.
The BIDMC Lung Health Institute is a multidisciplinary research programme dedicated to the prevention of respiratory diseases. In terms of direct-to-consumer offerings, stem cell or regenerative clinic companies, such as the Lung Health Institute (below), have often evolved to meet various regulatory and other challenges. Late last year, the Lung Health Institute was acquired by Medovex, a medical technology products company run by former Laser Spine executive William "Bill Horne". According to its website, it appears that Lung Health Institute sells more specifically the intravenous administration of a form of PRP.
Rivero and 34 other former patients have filed a lawsuit accusing Lung Health Institute of deceptive marketing practices. When contacted by phone, Behfar said he was unaware that the patients had accused Lung Health Institute of deceptive marketing and that they had sued the company with which it was associated. Yet months later, the website continues to host thousands of fundraising campaigns for stem cell treatments, including more than a hundred that mention the Lung Health Institute by name. Former patients at the Tampa-based Lung Health Institute said they were encouraged to take out bank loans or borrow money from family members.
After the FDA began cracking down on fat-based stem cell treatments, the Lung Health Institute stopped selling them and focused on selling its blood-based treatments. The Post also interviewed 14 former Lung Health Institute employees, including salespeople, doctors, nurses and patient coordinators, whose job it is to talk to potential customers.
