Attorney General Brenna Bird Secures Victory Against Deceptive Stem Cell Company

DES MOINES—Attorney General Brenna Bird announced a significant legal victory for Iowans following a district court ruling against Biologics Health, LLC, Summit Partners Group, LLC, and their owners, Rylee Meek and Scott Thomas. The court found the defendants engaged in unlawful conduct, finding twenty-seven (27) violations of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act (including the Older Iowans Act) and the Iowa Door-to-Door Sales Act. 

The lawsuit followed an investigation into the defendants' predatory marketing and sale of unproven stem cell treatments. The court’s decision paints a picture of a sophisticated sales scheme targeting vulnerable Iowans who were suffering from chronic pain and illnesses and desperate for relief.  

The defendants sent out approximately 350,000 direct mailers to Iowa residents. Those mailers invited Iowans to dinner seminars where Meek and Thomas—neither of whom have medical degrees or formal medical training—claimed to be “regenerative medicine industry experts.” During the seminars, the defendants claimed their products could treat a massive range of conditions, including chronic pain like arthritis and severe diseases like multiple sclerosis and diabetes. 

For example, an Iowa man from Altoona, who is a retired Marine, former truck driver, and mechanic, received the defendants’ mail solicitation inviting him to attend their stem cell seminar. The Iowa man suffers from degenerative disc disease and arthritis that have resulted in debilitating pain. Because of the positive testimonials presented at the seminar, he purchased six treatments, believing every product he received was FDA-approved and contained live cells that would be biologically effective. Instead, he received shots in an unsterile setting with no live stem cells, and the shots did not cure his pain. He paid $19,795.00 for this useless treatment. 

“Preying on Iowans who are looking for pain relief or medical treatment is evil and illegal,” said Attorney General Bird. “Iowans deserve better; this decision sends a message to other con artists and fraudsters that deceptive trade practices will not be tolerated in Iowa.” 

The Attorney General’s Office won reimbursement for at least 175 affected Iowans, a process to identify and reimburse any unknown victims, penalties for the perpetrators, and a court ruling that will stop these defendants from doing more harm in Iowa. The total amount of reimbursement and penalties is approximately $2.5 million. 

Read the full decision here. 

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For More Information:

Contact: Jen Green | jen.green@ag.iowa.gov