Stem cell researchers have welcomed an announcement by search engine giant Google that they will no longer accept advertising from groups promoting unproven uses of stem cells and gene therapy.
In a new policy statement on digital advertising for speculative and experimental medical treatments, Google said on 6 September that it would ban ads for unproven or experimental medical techniques such as most stem cell therapy, cellular (non-stem) therapy, and gene therapy.
“This new policy will prohibit ads selling treatments that have no established biomedical or scientific basis. The new policy also includes treatments that are rooted in basic scientific findings and preliminary clinical experience, but currently have insufficient formal clinical testing to justify widespread clinical use,” said Google Policy Adviser Adrienne Biddings, in a blog post.
“Often times, these treatments can lead to dangerous health outcomes and we feel they have no place on our platforms.”
Google said the crackdown had been driven by “a rise in bad actors attempting to take advantage of individuals by offering untested, deceptive treatments.”
“The digital ads ecosystem can only flourish if it’s a place that is safe and trustworthy for users,” wrote Ms Biddings.
The ban was welcomed by International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), whose president Professor Deepak Srivastava described it as “a much-needed and welcome step to curb the marketing of unscrupulous medical products such as unproven stem cell therapies.”