Stem Cell Institute Panama: Reviews, Costs and the Alternatives

What the Stem Cell Institute in Panama City Is

The Stem Cell Institute is a private clinic in Panama City that treats patients with Golden Cells, its brand name for donor mesenchymal stem cells taken from umbilical cord tissue. Neil Riordan, PA, PhD, is its founder, chairman and chief science officer.^[4] The cells come from Medistem Panama, a laboratory Riordan also founded, which supplies the clinic's cellular products.^[5]

Riordan's business interests extend beyond the clinic. He co-founded the Riordan Medical Institute in Southlake, Texas, and founded Aidan Products, a supplement business sold to healthcare professionals.^[4] His bachelor's degree is from Wichita State University, his master's from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and his PhD in health sciences from the Medical University of the Americas.^[4]

The Names You Will See

Stem Cell Institute (SCI)

The treatment clinic in Panama City, marketed at cellmedicine.com and neilriordan.com. Not related to the Georgia company of a similar name.

Medistem Panama

The lab that isolates, grows and stores the cells, at Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge), Building 221, Clayton.

Golden Cells

The clinic's trademark name for allogeneic (donor) mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord tissue. The clinic says they come from six cell lines selected from past cases.

Translational Biosciences

A subsidiary of Medistem Panama that runs the group's clinical trials.

MTF

An add-on the clinic sprays into the nose. It is described as containing exosomes and "over 300 beneficial molecules."

The clinic says donor cords come from healthy women in Panama after normal or C-section births. Donors sign consent forms, complete a questionnaire and give a blood sample for infectious disease testing.^[6] It also says cord donations are screened to American Association of Tissue Banks standards, and that it no longer uses bone marrow or body fat cells, which it used in the past.^[7]

Where the Clinic Is

The clinic's own pages give more than one location. Its contact page lists BICSA Tower, 63rd floor.^[8] Riordan's site says the clinic and the Hilton Panama share the BICSA Financial Center, connected by elevator.^[7] Its wellness page describes a new wellness and longevity center overlooking the Gulf of Panama, and puts the lab in the City of Knowledge.^[9] Confirm in writing which building your treatment happens in before you travel.

The Numbers the Clinic Publishes, and Why They Don't Match

The institute's age and patient counts vary from page to page. One page gives 2005 as its start, another 2006, and several say it began treating patients in 2008.^[10][7][11] Procedure counts range from "over 25,000" to "over 50,000" to "over 80,000."^[7][12][6] Patient totals run from 13,000+ to 19,000+ to 20,000+.^[13][14][6]

The lab's size also differs. The clinic describes Medistem as an 11,000 sq ft, ISO 9001 certified, GMP-compliant lab with more than 75 staff, 15 of them in quality control.^[6] Medistem's own site describes an 8,000 sq ft laboratory.^[15] None of these figures has been independently audited, so treat them as marketing claims.

Treatments Offered and What a Stay Looks Like

The Stem Cell Institute sells IV infusions and injections of its Golden Cells for a list of chronic conditions, plus a wellness and longevity program for healthy adults. The conditions it lists are autism, autoimmune diseases, cerebral palsy, frailty of aging, heart failure, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and sports injuries.^[6] Its videos also cover ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.^[4]

The cells can be given by IV, by intramuscular, intrathecal (into the spinal fluid) or perilymphatic injection, or by image-guided injection into a joint.^[6] The clinic says it does not have a protocol for every condition and screens each application for candidacy.^[9]

The Patient Process, Step by Step

Most protocols run three to five days with three to four sessions.^[14] The sample protocol works out to four treatment days and five hotel nights, so plan your flights around a stay of about a week door to door.^[6]

Wellness and Advanced Packages

The wellness and longevity program comes in two tiers. Both give the same cell dose of 120 million Golden Cells, split into three IV infusions of 40 million each.^[9] The differences are in the add-ons:

• Wellness: MTF intramuscular injections at two sites, three intranasal MTF treatments, a medical consultation, an InBody evaluation, IV hydration, vitamin C and glutathione IVs, a resting metabolic rate test, red light therapy, soft wave therapy and a hormone blood panel.
• Advanced: MTF injections at four sites, plus two cosmetic or sexual wellness treatments with Golden Cells, an epigenetic blood panel with a readout consultation, a DEXA scan, an NAD+ injection, a VO2 max test and compression boot therapy.

Both tiers include a four- or five-night stay at the Hilton with daily breakfast and WiFi, round-trip airport transfers, a patient host and 24/7 medical assistance.^[9] The page that lists the packages does not give a price for either one.

Autism Protocol and the MTF Nasal Spray

The clinic has added its intranasal MTF therapy to its autism protocol. It describes MTF as an aerosol containing exosomes and over 300 molecules with anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects, but cites no evidence for those claims.^[8] A 2019 description of the autism protocol had a Monday of intake testing, then four daily IV infusions from Tuesday to Friday, totaling 40 to 80 million cells depending on the child's weight. Children needed normal heavy-metal blood tests before they could enroll.^[16]

The clinic's site carries a response to a SpectrumNews article headlined "Experts question rationale for stem cell trial for autism."^[17] For what the research shows on these two conditions, see our guide to stem cell therapy for autism and MS in Panama.

Stem Cell Institute Panama Cost, Compared with Other Clinics

As of November 2026, the Stem Cell Institute's published prices start at $26,900 for adults and $15,890 for children. A typical treatment includes three to four IV injections, airport transport and a room at the Hilton Panama.^[1] Published adult packages run from about $26,900 to $28,750 as of October 2026.^[18] One September 2026 price roundup lists the children's price as $15,825, so confirm the current figure with the clinic.

US dollars, the clinics' own published figures as of November 2026. Ranges, not quotes.

What the Price Includes and What It Leaves Out

At the Stem Cell Institute, a standard Hilton Panama room is part of the treatment price.^[7] The wellness packages add daily breakfast, WiFi and airport-hotel-airport transfers.^[9] The clinic's pages don't list flights, meals beyond breakfast, extra nights or a traveling companion's costs, so budget for those separately.

If you arrive early, stay on after treatment or bring family, our guide to where to stay in Panama City compares the areas around the hotel towers. Companions with free days can use our Panama City travel guide for the canal and the old quarter.

How Stem Cell Institute Prices Have Moved

In 2019, the five-day autism package ran about $13,000 to $18,000 depending on the child's weight. It included expedited customs clearance and a Hilton room.^[16] Today's published starting price for children is about $15,890.

Competitors quote their own numbers for "Panama clinics." Regenamex, a Puerto Vallarta clinic, puts them at $25,000 to $50,000+ in a 2025 comparison table.^[19] ProgenCell, a Tijuana clinic, says therapy in the US, Panama or Colombia ranges from $15,000 to over $30,000.^[20] These clinics are selling against Panama, so treat their figures with care. A 2026 Stem Cell Reports study found that the six companies marketing stem cell treatments in Panama charged between $5,000 and $50,000.^[21]

Insurance and Payment

Expect to pay the full amount yourself. The Regeneration Clinic of Panama says neither local nor international insurance covers its treatments and that it offers no financing.^[22] It also says it does not provide itemized bills.^[23] Our guide to stem cell therapy cost in Panama compares these prices with the US and Mexico.

Stem Cell Institute Reviews and Complaints: What Patients Report

Almost every Stem Cell Institute review in circulation is a testimonial the clinic chose and published. No independent outcome data or complaint register exists to weigh them against. That does not make the stories false, but they are a selected sample. The clinic itself says there are no guarantees and that outcomes vary.^[10]

The Clinic's Own Testimonials

The testimonial page features patients with chronic conditions. Kathleen was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while preparing for a military deployment. Ray has lived with psoriasis and autoimmune arthritis since childhood. Corey spent four to five years with rheumatoid arthritis on biologic drugs. Ozzy, a Texas ophthalmologist, had a rotator cuff tear for more than 20 years.^[24]

• A couple in their 50s, Amy and Kyle, report better energy and recovery. Kyle says his mild exercise-induced asthma went away after a nebulizer treatment, and the couple say the benefits lasted more than a year.^[25]
• An Iowa family reports gains in their child's motor skills, vision and communication within months of three treatments for cerebral palsy.^[11]
• Adam Dash, an MS patient, says he can walk without a cane again.^[10]

The clinic also says none of its patients has reported a serious adverse effect.^[6] That figure is self-reported, with no published data behind it.

Celebrities and the Joe Rogan Effect

The clinic's news page has run a series of podcast-linked posts. "Joe Rogan Talks Stem Cell Therapy in Panama" appeared on February 15, 2025, followed by a February 28 post on Rogan advocating stem cell therapy and a March 27 post on Mel Gibson describing his experience on The Joe Rogan Experience.^[26] Other posts feature Chris Hemsworth visiting the clinic and NFL player George Kittle traveling to Panama for treatment.^[27][28] A competitor notes that Panama clinics such as the Stem Cell Institute gained early credibility through patients like Tony Robbins and Mel Gibson.^[19] Celebrity stories are publicity, not clinical evidence.

Criticism and Complaints on Record

The sharpest published criticism comes from competitors. A US physician who runs Regenexx in Grand Cayman writes that patients first treated in Panama typically received blind injections rather than image-guided ones.^[29] The Stem Cell Institute says its joint injections are image guided.^[6] The Regenexx post is undated and written by a rival clinic. Regenamex claims Panama clinics have one- to four-month waits and charge extra for follow-up and concierge services.^[19] It is also a direct competitor.

Reddit and Facebook threads rank for the clinic's name, but posters there cannot be verified. Searches for "Stem Cell Institute complaints" also surface the FTC's 2024 case, which concerns the unrelated Georgia company.

Is the Stem Cell Institute Legitimate? Licensing, Panama's Rules and FDA Status

The Stem Cell Institute is a real, long-running business, and its lab appears on the Ministry of Health's list of clinical laboratories. Panama's rules, however, treat its kind of treatment as experimental. No stem cell product for these uses is registered with the ministry, and the cells are not FDA-approved.

What Panama's Rules Say

Under Executive Decree 179, the only clinically accepted use of stem cells in Panama is hematopoietic (blood-forming) transplantation for blood diseases. Any other use is experimental and must take place within protocols approved by the National Bioethics Committee for Research (CNBI).^[30] Sources disagree on whether the decree dates from June 2018 or June 2019.^[21] Stem cells used in trials are classed as advanced therapy medicinal products, and MINSA's pharmacy and drugs directorate (DNFM) issues the permits for them.^[21]

Only four institutions are authorized to extract, store and transplant blood-forming stem cells: the Instituto Oncológico Nacional, the CSS Complejo Hospitalario Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid, Hospital del Niño and The Panama Clinic.^[31] The CNBI says MINSA has registered no stem cell product for any other use, and no stem cell trial protocol has been submitted for ethics review since 2018.^[32]

A 2026 study in Stem Cell Reports by Solís and colleagues counted six companies in Panama marketing unproven stem cell interventions as of October 2025, all selling medical tourism packages.^[21] The CNBI alerted MINSA to possible violations at least six times between 2015 and 2025, but no formal warnings or sanctions followed.^[30] La Prensa ran its coverage under a headline warning of tumors, blindness and death from unproven stem cell therapies.^[32] A bill to regulate mesenchymal stem cells, Bill 179 from deputy Crispiano Adames, sits in committee, and the CNBI found flaws in 8 of its 33 articles.^[33]

The Licensing Claim

The clinic says Medistem Panama is fully licensed by Panama's Ministry of Health.^[4] Medistem says the license covers processing, expanding and storing stem cells for therapeutic use.^[15] MINSA's January 2025 list of clinical laboratories does include Medistem Panama at Ciudad del Saber, Building 221, noted as "Especializado en Células Madres," with a date of 2029.^[34] The lab has appeared on these lists since at least August 2017.^[35]

That listing covers a clinical laboratory, though. It shows no license number and is not an authorization to treat patients with stem cells, which the decree reserves for approved research protocols.

FDA Status

The cells these Panama clinics use are not FDA-approved for the conditions they market.^[18] Even the Regeneration Clinic of Panama states on its FAQ that mesenchymal stem cell therapies are not FDA-approved for treatment in the US.^[22] The Regenexx physician writes that the only real stem cell therapy US law currently permits is bone marrow concentrate, which is why culture-grown cells are offered offshore.^[29]

The Research the Clinic Cites

The clinic's main published study appeared in the Journal of Translational Medicine in 2018. It was a one-year feasibility study in which 20 people with MS received seven IV infusions of 20 million cord tissue cells over seven days.^[37] The paper reported mostly mild side effects such as headache and fatigue, and improvements on several disability and function scores.^[37] Riordan is the first-listed author.^[38] The clinic's own summary describes the results as coming from a "small study group."^[39]

The group's subsidiary Translational Biosciences ran the trial, so it is not independent of the clinic.^[40] The clinic also points to registered trials for rheumatoid arthritis (NCT01985464) and MS (NCT02034188), the RA trial recruiting as of November 2014.^[41] A 2024 Phase I/II MS study in Jordan, by a different team, concluded that its two protocols were safe.^[42] Neither study shows that the treatment cures MS.

Alternatives in Panama: Regeneration Clinic, Auragens, BioGenesis and Others

The other Panama City clinics sell the same kind of donor umbilical cord cell treatment, and the same regulatory status applies to all of them. They differ in price transparency, stay length and the quality claims they make.

Regeneration Clinic of Panama: Cost and Reviews

The Regeneration Clinic of Panama is at Sortis Business Tower, Suite 4, in Panama City, and offers patients a corporate rate at the adjoining Sortis Hotel.^[23] It uses donor mesenchymal stem cells from Wharton's jelly, the soft tissue inside umbilical cords, processed in its own in-house lab.^[43] Donors deliver in Panama City and are screened for HIV, hepatitis B and C and other infections. Each batch is tested for sterility, microbes and endotoxins before injection.^[22]

Every protocol starts with a medical evaluation and an IV of vitamins or a Myers' cocktail. Most cells go in by IV, with joint injections done by an orthopedist.^[22] Protocols last three to seven working days, appointments take about an hour, and the stay is at most ten days. The clinic reports injection-site pain and, rarely, headache, nausea or fatigue, mostly gone within 24 hours.^[22] The conditions it lists include ALS, autism, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, back pain and sports injuries.^[43]

Cost: the clinic's FAQ gives $10,000 to $30,000 depending on protocol, including airport transport, bloodwork, IVs and infusions.^[22] Its pricing page gives $5,000 to $30,000.^[23] An undated blog post on its site quotes $6,000 to $10,000 for a single spine therapy session, accommodation included.^[44] Ask which figure applies to your protocol.

Reviews: a directory profile shows 4.9 stars from 27 Google reviews, a small, undated sample.^[23] The clinic's testimonials include Walter Kelly (ankle and lower spine), Edward (neurotoxicity) and Jeffrey Farling of Pennsylvania, who returned for a hip infection.^[43] A mother, Sharmila, describes her child's cerebral palsy treatment.^[45] None of these is dated or independently verified.

The team page lists Dr. Javier E. Garrido L., MD, MSc, and chief scientific officer Jonathan J. Hernández, PhD, an associate professor at the Universidad de Panamá. The CEO is Pierre Serhal, a technology entrepreneur who founded the payments company PagueloFacil.^[46] The business is registered as a sociedad anónima, Regeneration Clinic of Panama, S.A.^[47] The clinic does not publish opening hours.^[23]

Auragens

Auragens runs a hosted five-day treatment week in Panama City, Monday to Friday. It gives cells by IV, injection or nebulizer, and follows up through a patient experience executive after you go home.^[48] It does not publish prices.

Its claims need context. It advertises "Stem Cell Treatment Center of the Year 2026" from Life Sciences Review Magazine. The magazine says the award rests on its "proprietary methodology" and that the profile was written from an interview with CEO Dr. Daniel S. Briggs.^[49] Auragens says its lab is AABB-accredited.^[50] Its own August 2025 press release, however, said it was "pursuing AABB accreditation."^[51] Its FDA registration as a cell and tissue establishment is a facility listing, not approval.^[48]

BioGenesis

BioGenesis Regenerative Center in Panama City sells a three-step longevity protocol: a high-dose IV infusion, ultrasound-guided injections into joints, spine or soft tissue, and exosome therapy. Its medical director and co-founder is Dr. Raúl Moreno.^[52] Its main page gives no price, but its blog puts stem cell therapy in Panama at $5,000 to $30,000.^[52]

Other Names, and Clinics Outside Panama

Searches also turn up other Panama names, such as Origins. The study's count of six companies suggests more operators than the three above. Run the same checks on any of them.

Outside Panama, Regenexx in Grand Cayman grows patients' own bone marrow cells rather than donor birth tissue.^[29] Regenamex in Puerto Vallarta quotes $2,500 to $12,000.^[19] If what you need is a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant for a blood disease, that is a different, established treatment done at authorized hospitals such as The Panama Clinic. Our guide to healthcare in Panama for foreigners covers the private hospitals.

What to Check Before You Pay Any Panama Stem Cell Clinic

Get everything in writing before you send a deposit. Clinic websites rarely list the details that matter when something goes wrong.

1. The exact protocol: the cell type, the total cell count, how many infusions or injections, and by which route.
2. A written quote: what it includes (hotel nights, transfers, bloodwork, follow-up) and what it excludes. Ask about the refund policy if you are rejected on arrival or fall ill before treatment.
3. Who treats you: the name and Panamanian registration of the treating doctor, and whether joint injections use ultrasound or fluoroscopy.
4. Research status: whether your treatment is part of a CNBI-approved protocol, and its ClinicalTrials.gov number if the clinic calls it a trial.
5. Complications: which Panama hospital you go to after a bad reaction, and who pays.
6. Your own doctor: share the protocol before you go, and bring the clinic's records home so your doctor can follow up.

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