Stem cell therapy is not new in Malaysia though not many people know about it until recently. Since 2006, Hospital Ampang has been providing clinical stem cell therapy.  However, the cases of stem cell therapy really only picked up since 2010.  Most of the stem cell therapy in Malaysia belong to hemopoietic stem cell transplants.  Hemopoietic stem cells, or simply   HSCs, are essentially stem cells capable of developing into all types of blood cells. HSCs are the earliest form of stem cells used in stem cell therapy. In this article, Stem Cell Malaysia will summarize the information on the cost of stem cell therapy in Malaysia.



Cost of Stem Cell Therapy in Hospitals



According to the press statement given by the Minister of Health, Malaysia, during the 1st Stem Cell Congress held in November 2012, there are 11 Haemopoietic transplant centres in Malaysia.  In the Minister’s report, not all costs of stem cell therapy are revealed.  However, it was stated that,

“In private hospitals, the cost of transplant Allogeneic PBSCT ranges from RM200,000 to RM250,000.  Through Tabung Bantuan Perubatan, the Ministry of Health is subsidising HSCT done in University hospitals at RM 40,000-RM 60,000 per transplant. “



Allogeneic PBSCT means peripheral blood stem cell transplantation using blood stem cells from another person.  PBSCT is commonly used to replenish blood stem cells in patients whose blood cells have been mostly killed during chemotherapy.

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As you can see from the report or statement, the cost of stem cell therapy is extremely expensive.  The high cost of stem cell therapy is certainly beyond the financial ability of ordinary citizens.  Even with subsidization from the Government, the cost of stem cell therapy is still far beyond normal affordability.



Hefty Cost of Stem Cell Therapy Creates Unfilled Vacuum



With the extremely high cost of stem cell therapy in the medical industry, many patients remain to be untreated.  This is a cruel reality of medical costs in Malaysia and virtually every country in the world.  Though the potential of stem cell therapy sounds promising, the high price tag takes away all hope for ordinary people with incurable diseases.  The situation will likely remain to be so for a long time.

As a result of this saddening scenario, the needs of the masses hoping for the benefits of stem cell therapy remain unfulfilled.  The vacuum of unfulfilled demands for treatment is not confined to Malaysia but is global.  Hence, commercial organizations have cropped up offering stem cell therapy in the form of non-medical options or as ‘supplements’.  That’s why we hear of unlicensed clinic performing ‘illegal’ stem cell therapy, particularly in the US.  Are there such clinics in Malaysia?  Only you and I can guess in the mire of our mind.



Cost of Non-Medical Stem Cell Therapy



The emergence of non-medical stem cell products which border on the unpublicized benefits of stem cell therapy is cropping up beyond the control of any law and act.  The so called ‘testimonials’ of various commercial food grade or non-medical grade products have begun to flood the media, particularly the internet. While doctors and official body of the Government advise people not to undertake unlicensed stem cell therapy, people who experienced benefits of healing and cure from a food grade stem cell product will not remain silent.

While it is impossible to prove and certify clinically the efficacy of the stem cells used in these testimonial cases, patients of all kinds of conditions are vocal about the new health they are able to enjoy.  It is also difficult for the medical community to refute the living testimonials of patients they sent home to die because there was no other alternative medically to treat these patients.

The absence of clinical proof does not necessarily prove the absence of efficacy. It merely means the unavailability of clinical evidence.  Most of us have been brought up in a culture that takes the words of doctor as final when it comes to disease treatment.  However, the development of complementary and alternative medicine in recent decades has opened the eyes and mind of many to look for solutions in this non main stream medical world.  The surge of many cases in non-medical stem cell therapy follows the historical development of holistic treatment.

What annoys the main stream medical stem cell therapy provider is the low cost of food grade stem cell therapy.  Most food grade or supplement type of stem cell products cost only a fraction of the cost of stem cell therapy in the main stream medical sectors.  A basic course of treatment using a typical food grade or supplement type of stem cell products can be obtained for less than RM10,000.

Imagine the huge difference in costs between the two extremes. Many people who undertook the food grade or supplement type of stem cell therapy experienced more than merely healing of the intended illness or condition.  In most cases, they claim healing of other ailments, if any, as well as rejuvenation of their overall health and vitality.

We hope this short article on cost of stem cell therapy will help you look at the options available and the relative costs of the options.





Extracted from: Stem Cell Malaysia

By:  Jonas Lee