CANCELLED Trading on hope, hubris, and regulatory ambiguity: Exploring the dynamics underpinning the stem cell tourism Down Under

By Professor Megan Munsie, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and University of Melbourne (Australia)

For many, the promise of stem cell science is synonymous with hope for a future free of suffering. While advances have been made, the pace has been slow with few therapies currently endorsed by regulators. Frustrated by a lack of options, people have increasingly turned to help beyond that provided by mainstream medicine. They are often prepared to travel vast distances, at great expense, in their pursuit. This presentation will explore the phenomenon of stem cell tourism in Australia. Specifically, I will disentangle the complex dynamics that enabled commercial clinics to bypass usual safety and efficacy standards, and that have contributed to many being unaware that such practices raised concern. Drawing on perspectives of Australian patients, carers, doctors and other stakeholders, I will explore how trust in the healthcare system, coupled with sophisticated marketing strategies and heightened community expectation, has contributed to a blurring of mainstream and marginal healthcare and the high costs involved to individuals and the sector.

Everybody is welcome!