New York, NY – Dec.  9, 2010 – The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program (ERSP) has determined that Stemtech Health Sciences provided adequate support for general claims of product efficacy for the StemEnhance Stem Cell Enhancer but recommended the marketer modify other claims to clarify the product’s capabilities.

ERSP, the electronic direct-response industry’s self-regulatory forum, is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) with policy oversight by the National Advertising Review Council (NARC).

The marketer’s advertising came to the attention of ERSP through an anonymous challenge.

ERSP examined claims in broadcast and online advertising that included:

• “…StemEnhance, a breakthrough in stem cell nutrition that supports the natural release of adult stem cells from our own bone marrow.” 
• “…if we could increase the amount of adult stem cells circulating in our blood stream we may be able to provide support for our body’s systems that help improve our overall health and well being, and that’s precisely what StemEnhance does.”
• “World’s first stem cell enhancer”
• “It’s so unique it’s been awarded a U.S. patent”
• “The only nutritional supplement in the world proven to support the release of your own adult stem cells!”
• “A clinical study on StemEnhance in healthy individuals, paid for by STEMtech but conducted by an independent laboratory, has shown that consumption of StemEnhance supports the body’s natural release of adult stem cells from the bone marrow and increases adult stem cells in the blood.”
•  “The World’s First and Only Patented, Scientifically Proven Stem Cell Enhancer”;  “Scientifically Proven”
•  “…taking just 2 capsules of StemEnhance supports an average 25% increase in the number of naturally released adult stem cells circulating in the blood stream.”

Following its review of the evidence in the record, ERSP determined that the marketer could support claims that the product, when taken as directed, contributes to the release of a statistically significant number of increased adult stem cells circulating in the blood shortly after ingestion. However, ERSP determined that is would be premature for the marketer to claim that the product has been shown to improve an individual’s overall health.

ERSP found that the claims “World’s first stem cell enhancer” as it appears at the StemEnhance Website is communicated in context with additional information about stem cells. ERSP recommended, however, that the marketer modify the claims where it appears in other, isolated contexts to clarify that the claim is limited to adult stem cells in the natural product category.  

With respect to the establishment claims at issue, the marketer has voluntarily agreed to discontinue the use of “clinically proven” and “proven” language in future advertising. In addition, ERSP did not object to the marketer’s representation that “A clinical study on StemEnhance in healthy individuals, paid for by STEMtech but conducted by an independent laboratory, has shown that consumption of stem enhance supports the body’s natural release of adult stem cells from the bone marrow and increases adult stem cells in the blood.”

However, ERSP recommended that the claim stating “…taking just 2 capsules of StemEnhance supports an average 25% increase in the number of naturally released adult stem cells circulating in the blood stream” be modified. 

The marketer advised ERSP that it plans to phase out the exclusivity claim “the only nutritional supplement in the world proven to support the release of your own adult stem cells!”

ERSP did not object to the description of the product as a “breakthrough.”

The marketer also confirmed the product is covered by two United States patents thus providing sufficient support for the claim that StemEnhance is “… so unique it’s been awarded a U.S. patent”

The company, in its marketer’s statement, said it would “amend all statements made in our promotional material to meet the conclusion of your report.”