Manila, Philippines More health groups are supporting the stand of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) to strengthen government control against the unapproved use of stem cell therapy until conclusive trials had proven its safety and efficacy.

The University of the Philippines-National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) released a statement stressing the importance of clinical trials in proving the efficacy of stem cell treatments.

Aside from the NIH, the other medical societies opposing the highly advertised unproven treatments are the Philippine College of Geriatric Medicine, Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, Philippine Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Philippine Society of Nephrology, Philippine Neurological Association, Philippine Society of General Surgeons, Philippine College of Surgeons, Philippine Heart Association, Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Philippine Society of Medical Oncology, Diabetes Philippines, Philippine Society of General Internal Medicine, Philippine Society for Vascular Surgery, Philippine Urological Association, Philippine College of Chest Physicians, Philippine Rheumatology Association, Philippine Society of Gastroenterology, Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine, Philippine Society of Nuclear Medicine, Academy of Filipino Neurosurgeons, and the Philippine Dermatological Society.

The NIH said stem cell therapy, in all its stages collecting, processing, cryopreservation, and delivery of stem cells, must undergo clinical trials.

Dr. Marita V.T. Reyes of the Philippine Health Ethics Research Board emphasized that experimental therapy is not considered a standard therapy.

Reyes said experimental therapy may lead to unidentified harms that will cause probable risks on the patients.

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Stem cell therapy control sought

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