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Compliant stem cell advertising
What a stem cell clinic can and cannot say in an ad
Four sets of rules apply to every stem cell ad: Meta, Google, the FDA and the FTC. This page explains each one in plain English and shows what a compliant ad looks like.
The problem
Most stem cell marketing does not follow the rules
Average success rate claimed
Researchers asked U.S. clinics how well stem cell treatment works for knee osteoarthritis. The 36 clinics that answered claimed an average of 82%, and some claimed 100%.
Approved for orthopedic use
The FDA states: "Regenerative medicine therapies have not been approved for the treatment of any orthopedic condition."
Ordered by a federal court
The founders of the Stem Cell Institute of America were ordered to pay $5,155,146 and banned from marketing regenerative treatments.
That group gave clinics a "vault" of sample ads to copy. The court found the ads made false and misleading claims. Copying another clinic's ads is not a safe way to advertise.
The rules
The four sets of rules
| Who | What the rule says | What it means for your ads |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | Ads must not state or imply personal attributes, including a physical or mental health condition. | The ad cannot speak to the viewer as someone with a condition. "Do you suffer from knee pain?" fails. |
| "Promotion of cell or gene therapies" is not allowed. Ads that are only educational or informational are allowed. | Search ads that sell stem cell treatment are not available to most clinics. | |
| FDA | The only FDA approved stem cell products are blood-forming stem cells, for disorders of blood production. None is approved for an orthopedic condition. | The ad cannot say or suggest that the treatment is FDA approved. |
| FTC | Health claims in advertising must be truthful and supported by evidence. Courts have ordered refunds, civil penalties and marketing bans. | The ad cannot promise a result or state a success rate that trials do not support. |
Examples
Ads that get an account restricted
What we run instead
How we work
How LoopGen keeps your advertising compliant
- Every ad is written to Meta's advertising standards before it is designed
- No ad promises a result, states a success rate or shows a before and after
- No ad addresses the viewer as someone who has a condition
- The offer in every ad is a consultation with a physician
- You approve every ad before it runs
- Where your state requires a notice in advertising, as Florida, Georgia and Tennessee now do, the ad carries the wording your attorney approves
Questions
Compliance questions clinics ask us
Can we use patient testimonials in ads?
A testimonial that describes a result is treated as a claim that the treatment produces that result, so it needs the same evidence as any other claim. We do not use result testimonials in ads. Patients can talk about the consultation, the staff and how they were treated as a person.
Can we use before and after photos?
We do not use them. A before and after image is a promise of a result.
Can the ad say "stem cell therapy"?
Yes. Naming the treatment is allowed on Meta. What is not allowed is a claim about what the treatment will do for the viewer. Our sample video ads name the treatment and make no claim about results.
What happens if Meta rejects an ad?
Meta reviews every ad before it runs. If an ad is rejected, we read the reason, change the ad and send it for review again.
Is this legal advice?
No. LoopGen is a marketing company. This page is a summary of public rules. Your clinic should take its own legal advice on FDA, FTC and state requirements.