A prominent UFC fighter and once title holder claims he was permanently injured because of a bad stem cell product dispensed at a Las Vegas clinic called Cellaxys. The clinic is owned by a company called Medical Systems Management. It appears other fighters may have also been referred to the clinic. Anyone who received a bad stem cell product may be eligible for significant cash compensation.
According to a lawsuit filed last month, the fighter – who is not being named in this post for privacy reasons – suffered from low back pain. In January 2018, he received a stem cell treatment at a clinic in Idaho. Afterwards he felt much better.
The fighter reported his improvements to his UFC physical therapist. The therapist then suggested he receive additional stem cell therapy, although at a clinic in Las Vegas. The name of the clinic? Cellaxys.
Based on glowing recommendations from the UFC, the fighter went to Las Vegas and met with a doctor there, Pouya Mohajer M.D. According to the Cellaxys website, Dr. Mohajer serves as the clinic’s Director of Spine and Interventional Medicine.
Cellaxys claims it uses “the world’s most advanced stem cell procedures” and can heal damaged muscles, tendons, ligaments and even bones and spinal discs.
The fighter received stem cell injections on June 29
th
, 2018. He paid $4,500, evidently the special “UFC rate.”
If you think you know what is coming next, you are right. Almost immediately pain set in. Soon the young and once healthy professional fighter was in excruciating pain and in a wheelchair.
Several weeks later, doctors found the cause of the pain and paralysis, a rare infection at the site of the injection.
Cellaxys used a stem product called ReGen Series ® made by Genetech Inc and distributed by a company called Liveyon. Based on our investigation, both companies are out of business. We have located no insurance for Genetech and Liveyon has a policy of just $3 million and dozens if not 100 pending claims against. By our calculations, the average victim of the stem cells products made by Genetech and distributed by Liveyon will be luck to receive just $10,000!
Cellaxys Liable for Poor Stem Cell Products
Is there any hope for the fighter and the dozens of other folks who claim they were hurt by the ReGen series stem cell products? What happens when the manufacturer and distributor have no insurance or insufficient insurance?
All great questions.
The good news is that there is hope!
Genetech stem cell products used cellular products made from human umbilical blood. These products are designed to be injected directly into the affected tissue to treat a variety of orthopedic disorders.
In September 2018, the FDA reported possible adverse reactions to Genetech ReGen Series stem cell products. That same month the Texas Department of State Health Services received notice of Enterobacter cloacae (E.Cloacae) and Citrobacter freundii (C. freundii) bacteria in three patients who received injections or infusions of ReGen stem cell products.
The Florida Department of Health received even more complaints and found Escherichia coli (E. coli), Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), and Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) infections.
Liveyon recalled the products on September 28, 2018. Too late for the fighter and dozens of other patients.
On November 29, 2018, the FDA issued a warning letter to Genetech identifying umbilical cord blood-derived cellular products ReGen5, ReGen10 and ReGen30 as products that failed to meet safety regulations. The FDA warning letter detailed significant violations of current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMP”) and current Good Tissue Practices (“cGTP”) for manufacturing human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products.
The problems aren’t limited to Genetech and Liveyon. We believe many other manufacturers are nothing more than glorified garage-based labs with little quality control and testing. And almost always no FDA approval.
There is no reliable way for umbilical cord blood to be decontaminated after collection. Sterilizing the product simply kills the stem cells rendering them useless.
Very few stem cell products are FDA approved. The ReGen Series products were not FDA approved. And that means the doctors and clinics that were using these products may be liable for any injuries associated with these products.
Clinics like Cellaxys and physicians administering stem cell products have a duty to treat patients with proper care. [A complete list of known stem cell products for sale in the U.S. and some of the other regulatory actions appears on our stem cell page, see the link below.] That means clinics should investigate the safety of the products they are administering, make sure those products are FDA approved and make sure they are administered for an FDA approved purpose.
Like the current CBD craze, the stem cell industry is like the wild west right now. Certainly, there are valid uses for stem cell therapy but that doesn’t mean they should be used to treat all diseases and every ailment nor does it mean that clinics should simply assume that every product on the market is safe or FDA approved.
With so many unlicensed facilities operating, the FDA can’t be expected to inspect everyone. The onus is on physicians and clinics such as Cellaxys to ensure the products they are using are safe, of proper quality and FDA approved.
Doctors have the legal ability to use products for off label use but can still be responsible if they deviate from the proper standard of care.
If you are injured by a poor quality or improperly administered stem cell product, you may have a claim against the manufacturer, distributor, clinic and physician who administered the product. Victims of bad stem cell products can generally receive compensation for medical expenses, future anticipated medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and future lost wages. Spouses may also have claims.
For more information, visit our stem cell products lawsuit * page. If you think you have a claim against a stem cell manufacturer, physician or clinic, contact us by email at [hidden email] by phone at 800.669.7782, or online. All inquiries are kept confidential.
Do you work at a clinic or stem cell company? We would also love to speak with you. Once again, all inquiries are kept confidential.
*We have other stem cell stories on our site, use the serch engine on our blog and just type “stem cell” for a complete listing.