X-Message-Number: 10065
From: 
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 22:46:47 EDT
Subject: "Regenesis" Summary

Cryonics Institute and Immortalist Society members, and everyone else
interested in life extension, if not already informed, will want to know about
"Regenesis 1," the new product advertised as offering HGH (Human Growth
Hormone) in a new form at much lower prices.

I have obtained all the available promotional material, but have not been able
to get the scientific documentation of efficacy that I requested; it is said
by the marketing agent, Patrick Cochrane, to be currently unavailable. All
they have to offer presently, it appears, is testimonials--and testimonials
for a different product at that.

I do not discount anecdotal evidence as much as some people do. After all,
every large study was preceded by a few suggestive observations or reports.
Anecdotes and isolated observations do count for something. But their pitfalls
are well known, especially in the context of aggressive salesmanship. 

I would like to believe these people have something, but there are many, many
problems with their promotional material, including the following.

1) Ronald Klatz, president of A4M (American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine) is
featured on the front page of the web site http://www.1sf.com/hgh/main.htm.
He is author of the book GROW YOUNG WITH HGH (Harper-Collins). Furthermore,
the testimonials are not for Regenesis, but for HGH and HGH precursors, based
on the Klatz book. What relation Klatz has to the promoters of Regenesis, if
any, is not clear. Unless I have missed something, the promotional material
offers NOTHING to support a claim of efficacy for Regenesis 1, except that the
promoters claim to be taking it and feeling better.

2) The product is called a "homeopathic medicine in a proprietary formula."
The word "homeopathic" naturally raises a red flag. The product supposedly
"stimulates the body to manufacture GH [HGH] and it's [sic] major metabolite
IGF-1, an insulin-like growth factor (type 1)." At another point, it is said
that Regenesis 1 actually contains GH, but only in nanogram quantities, on the
order of 25-50 ng per dose. 

3) The promotional material also says that oral-spray Regenesis 1 is BETTER
than HGH in the usual injection treatments, in that HGH produces benefits at
first and then hits a plateau, whereas Regenesis 1 keeps making you feel
better.

4) The sales organization is "network" or "multi-level" or "pyramid." This is
a bright red flag. Maybe there are some "network" organizations selling
legitimate products at competitive prices, but I don't know of any.  

I don't see how anyone with a normally developed sense of skepticism could
avoid a negative impression overall. But I hope I'm wrong. Further information
welcome.

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

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