Is "FDA-registered" the same as FDA approved?

No. North Dakota's attorney general says a company claiming FDA-registered facilities or compliance with FDA guidelines does not mean the treatment it sells has FDA approval.

What harm can these injections cause?

North Dakota's attorney general says reported harms from unapproved stem cell products include life-threatening infections and chronic pain, on top of the cost.

Is this only happening in North Dakota?

The latest warning came from North Dakota. The attorney general also said the Federal Trade Commission found similar sales presentations and stem cell claims to be unfair and deceptive, so the same pitch can turn up elsewhere.

Scam alert

A Free Dinner Turns Into a Stem Cell Pitch? Don't Sign Up There

Posted Oct 21

North Dakota · attorneygeneral.nd.gov · Arrives by a mailed invitation to a free dinner

The short answer

A free dinner invitation that turns into a sales pitch for stem cell or tissue injections, with promises to ease pain or treat illnesses like Parkinson's, diabetes or dementia, is a reason not to sign up. On October 19, 2026, North Dakota's attorney general warned that these claims are unproven, false and misleading, and that the treatments being sold cost $9,000 to $29,000. "FDA-registered" is not FDA approval. Talk to your own doctor before you pay for anything pitched at a dinner.

What is happening

On October 19, 2026, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley issued an urgent advisory about companies offering stem cell and other human tissue injections through sales presentations at local restaurants, with unproven claims that they can relieve pain or treat conditions including Parkinson's disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, autism and dementia, KFGO and Valley News Live reported. The attorney general said one company mailed North Dakota residents invitations to a free dinner where its presentations made false and misleading promises of pain reduction, that it did business in the state without the required license, and that its treatments cost between $9,000 and $29,000. It is unlawful under state and federal law to sell these treatments without FDA approval.

How to recognize it

A mailer invites you to a free meal at a local restaurant with a talk about pain relief or new treatments.
The talk turns into a pitch for stem cell or other tissue injections that cost thousands of dollars.
Presenters say one treatment can help many unrelated conditions, from joint pain to Parkinson's, diabetes or dementia.
They say they use "FDA-registered" facilities or follow FDA guidelines. North Dakota's attorney general says that does not mean the treatment is FDA approved.
You are encouraged to sign up or pay at the event, before you can talk it over with your own doctor.

What to do instead

Enjoy the meal if you go, but do not sign anything or pay at the event.
Ask your own doctor about any treatment pitched to you before you agree to buy it.
Ask the seller whether the treatment itself is FDA approved, not just the facility registered.
If a relative is going to one of these dinners, offer to go along or to look at the paperwork with them first.
If you want to tell someone, the rule is: nothing pitched at a free dinner gets paid for before your doctor sees it.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

These presentations are built to sound medical and convincing, and many people sign up.
Talk to your doctor about any treatment you already had, including any pain or signs of infection afterward.
File a complaint with your state attorney general. In North Dakota, use attorneygeneral.nd.gov or call 701-328-3404.
Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Open Help Now

Common questions

Is "FDA-registered" the same as FDA approved?: No. North Dakota's attorney general says a company claiming FDA-registered facilities or compliance with FDA guidelines does not mean the treatment it sells has FDA approval.
What harm can these injections cause?: North Dakota's attorney general says reported harms from unapproved stem cell products include life-threatening infections and chronic pain, on top of the cost.
Is this only happening in North Dakota?: The latest warning came from North Dakota. The attorney general also said the Federal Trade Commission found similar sales presentations and stem cell claims to be unfair and deceptive, so the same pitch can turn up elsewhere.

Practice this safely

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Tell someone

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A Free Dinner Turns Into a Stem Cell Pitch? Don't Sign Up There

A free dinner invitation that turns into a sales pitch for stem cell or tissue injections, with promises to ease pain or treat illnesses like Parkinson's, diabetes or dementia, is a reason not to sign up. On October 19, 2026, North Dakota's attorney general warned that these claims are unproven, false and misleading, and that the treatments being sold cost $9,000 to $29,000. "FDA-registered" is not FDA approval. Talk to your own doctor before you pay for anything pitched at a dinner.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/stem-cell-free-dinner-seminar-scam

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