To the Editor:

The News Feature in the September issue by Jane Qiu1 entitled “Trading on Hope” highlights the lack of oversight in certain clinical centers now offering stem cell treatments. At Stemedica, we recognize and respect the role that research and approved clinical trials have in the advancement of the stem cell industry. However, as vice chairman & CEO of the company, I was extremely concerned to find references within Qiu's article about our company. These references are inaccurate and potentially damaging to Stemedica's image within the regulatory, medical and investment communities and need to be corrected.

On p. 791 of the article, Qiu included Stemedica as one of the organizations in Table 1 “promoting unproven stem cell treatments.” This is incorrect: Stemedica does not promote unproven stem cells treatments.

Later, on the same page, Qiu references two basic bench researchers—Sorapop Kiatpongsan of the University of Bangkok and Douglas Sipp of the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan. Until a recent effort by Stemedica to engage these two researchers, neither had ever had direct contact with anyone at Stemedica. Had they visited our facilities or interviewed any of our personnel, they would have learned the facts about our position regarding the evolution of stem cell therapy and the importance we place in having such therapy conducted under strict clinical protocols and with full regulatory approval.

I would also like to state that neither Qiu nor anyone else from Nature Biotechnology called Stemedica to confirm the facts or verify that the information in the article concerning Stemedica was accurate.

Although Stemedica commends Qiu's attempt at disclosing misuses of stem cell treatment, we regret that inaccurate information was advanced about our company in the article. Interested readers are invited to visit our web site (http://www.stemedica.com/) to review articles and press releases on research, conference presentations and other information about Stemedica. We strive to do what is right and responsible and take exception to any inaccurate information about our company.