The former executive of a company implicated in the marketing of allegedly defective stem cell products intended to treat a range of health conditions faces a three-year prison term, as announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California. John Warrington Kosolcharoen, 53, formerly of Rancho Santa Margarita, was sentenced today following a guilty plea for introducing an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce with fraudulent intentions, starting his sentence after an unrelated current incarceration. A restitution hearing is set for December 3.
Based in Orange County, Kosolcharoen's businesses, Liveyon LLC and Genetech Inc., produced and sold injectable products derived from human umbilical cord blood under the "ReGen" brand, these products were promoted for the treatment of various diseases such as Alzheimer's and heart conditions; however, reports from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) disclose that there's an unsettling pattern of patients being hospitalized due to infectious complications linked to these products, despite these claims, the marketing persisted until around April 2019. Kosolcharoen had not only been accused of deceptive promotion of ReGen's capabilities but also of duping the FDA into believing the products were sold purely for research, veiling the truth about its widespread commercial distribution.
"Exploiting the hopes of patients suffering from serious illnesses is not merely greedy, it’s cruel," said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada in a sentiment echoed by officials lamenting the recklessness behind such unscrupulous actions. According to the Justice Department, Civil Division Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Brian M. Boynton, the government is dedicated to prosecuting those who illegally market harmful products for personal profits, stating "Misleading the public about the safety and effectiveness of purported cures and treatments is illegal." A coordinated investigation involving the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations, the FBI, and several other agencies ultimately led to the charges against Kosolcharoen.
