Vermont Bill Would Require Providers to Notify Patients of Unapproved Stem Cell Therapies
March 17, 2021
The Vermont Legislature is considering a bill (
S.22) that would require health care providers who perform stem cell therapies that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration to provide their patients with specific notice and a disclosure form before administering an unapproved therapy. Providers would also have to include notice that they administer unapproved stem cell products in advertisements related to the products. AABB-accredited facilities are explicitly exempt from the requirements related to notice, disclosure and advertisements.
The state senate
passed the bill after the third reading on March 11. In the house, the bill was referred to the Committee on Health Care on March 16. AABB will follow this bill’s progress and provide updates as they are available.
Supporting patients’ access to safe, medically appropriate cellular therapies is a core part of AABB’s mission and
Advocacy Agenda. AABB will continue to collaborate with the cellular therapies community to drive and support policies that ensure patient access, advance research, increase the supply and safety of biotherapies, and expand coverage of these therapies.
In addition, AABB recognizes that innovation, patient safety and informed consent are paramount to advancing science. The Association’s publication “
Unproven Cellular Therapies – A Guide for Patients” is intended to be a resource to help patients make informed decisions about treatment with unproven cellular therapies. Additional information about cellular therapies is available on the
AABB Center for Cellular Therapies web page.