Spanning Neurodegenerative & Skin/Bone/Soft Tissue Diseases, Sight Restoration, and Orthopedic Conditions

Leader in medical travel industry balances scientific, clinical, and regulatory issues with ethical and social concerns involving responsible use of adult stem cells in treating patients

DENVER, Co. – March 9, 2009 –  Adult stem cell treatments for neurodegenerative, spinal, ophthalmologic, cardiac and orthopedic conditions -- including multiple sclerosis, stroke, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's, autism and select brain injuries -- are now available in select locations around the world as part if its World-Class Provider NetworkTM, announces BridgeHealth International, Inc.  BridgeHealth is the premier provider of medical travel services guiding individuals and businesses.   

According to Andrew Dombro, M.D., medical director for BridgeHealth, “Cautionary guidelines, such as those put forth by the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), as well as recent media coverage of patient success stories, underscore an urgent need for balance between the tremendous opportunity stem cell therapies offer with the ethical representations of expected outcomes touted by providers. In the early days of any new medical development, there is an incumbent need for pause, active analysis and forthright responses. Having frank discussions with patients about expected outcomes and exploring their openness to realistic expectations is essential.”

BridgeHealth International echoes the call that scientific, clinical, regulatory, ethical, and social issues be addressed so that stem cell research is responsibly translated into clinical applications for ongoing patient treatment.  

Victor Lazzaro, Jr., CEO of BridgeHealth says, “In our own review of providers around the world, we took great care to separate the wheat from the chaff when it came to suppliers and protocols.”
According to the National Institutes of Health (http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/faqs.asp), “Stem cells are cells that have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells for as long as the person or animal is still alive.”

Lazzaro concludes, “After a thorough international search to indentify the most qualified partners, BridgeHealth has finalized agreements to provide stem cell therapy for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, sight restoration, skin, bone and soft tissue diseases, and orthopedic needs.  We take pride in our ability to provide this service to our clients along with manufacturing and treatment partners that are committed to the highest standards of manufacturing and ongoing clinical research.  In many cases, research has been underway for decades—30 years in the case of one partner provider—with thousands of patients receiving treatment, achieving outstanding results and experiencing no documented side effects.”

Typical travel for stem cell therapy through BridgeHealth International includes completing an extensive health history, medical review by the practicing physician(s), patient agreement to participate in research outcome tracking over time, counseling on the patient’s financial capability to handle the cost of treatment without distress, the willingness to follow physical therapy and other protocols and to travel outside of the country.

About BridgeHealth International, Inc.
BridgeHealth International, Inc. (BridgeHealth) is the premier service provider in the burgeoning medical travel industry, founded with a vision “to create a trusted bridge to the world of international healthcare.” BridgeHealth serves health plans, insurance carriers, employers, third party administrators, individuals accessing benefits via voluntary benefits plans, health and affinity card programs or Consumer Directed Health Care Plans (CDHP), and individual consumers seeking medical travel options.  Visit www.bridgehealthinternational.com.