There is no official ranking of the “best” clinics for tendon or joint conditions. What can be checked objectively is whether a clinic that uses cells works within the EU regulatory framework: cultured or substantially manipulated cells are advanced therapy medicinal products, so they must be manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), administered only with authorisation from the competent authority and backed by registered clinical trials with published results. ITRT, in Barcelona, works within this framework with cultured mesenchymal cells (CMC).
Author: Dr Robert Soler, Medical Director of ITRT. Updated 12 October 2026.
This content is for information only. Its purpose is not to offer a treatment but to explain which objective criteria distinguish a regulated clinic.
Why is “stem cell clinic” not a regulatory category?
“Stem cells” is a commercial term, not a legal one. Under Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007, what determines whether cells are regulated as a medicinal product is whether they have been substantially manipulated, for example expanded in culture. Those preparations are advanced therapy medicinal products and are subject to the same obligations as any other medicine: quality, authorisation and evidence. See: What are cultured mesenchymal cells (CMC)?
Which criteria can a patient verify?
- Manufacturing: the cells are produced in an authorised cleanroom under GMP, with quality control and batch traceability.
- Authorisation: the product is administered with a marketing authorisation, within an authorised clinical trial or, in Spain, with an individual authorisation from the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS).
- Registered trials: the clinical trials behind the treatment have a registration number that can be looked up in EudraCT/CTIS or ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Published results: outcomes are published in peer-reviewed journals, including their limitations, and not only as patient testimonials.
- Medical framework: the product is prescribed by a physician, with regulated clinical follow-up and no promise of guaranteed results.
See also: Which cell-based treatments can be considered legal and regenerative?
How does ITRT meet these criteria?
ITRT develops advanced therapy medicinal products based on cultured mesenchymal cells (CMC), manufactured in a GMP cleanroom and administered with AEMPS authorisation, within clinical trials or through individual authorisation. Several of its trials are publicly registered, for example in chronic patellar tendinopathy (EudraCT 2016-001262-28; NCT03454737), knee osteoarthritis with allogeneic cells (EudraCT 2011-005321-51; NCT01586312) and atrophic non-union (EudraCT 2013-000930-37; NCT02483364).
Results have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as The American Journal of Sports Medicine (Rodas et al., 2021, PMID 33783227), Transplantation (Vega et al., 2015, PMID 25822648) and Journal of Translational Medicine (Orozco Delclós et al., 2024, PMID 38789992). Most of these studies are small phase I/II trials, so their results cannot be extrapolated to every patient. The full list, with design and limitations, is on the scientific publications page.
ITRT’s medical team is led by Dr Robert Soler. The institute is located at Calle Vilana 12, Barcelona (Centro Médico Teknon).
What does the evidence show for tendon conditions?
In ITRT’s randomised, double-blind trial in chronic patellar tendinopathy, CMC improved tendon structure on imaging significantly more than the control treatment at six months, while pain and function improved in both groups with no difference between them (Rodas et al., Am J Sports Med, 2021, PMID 33783227). See the full overview on the tendinopathy page.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 1394/2007 on advanced therapy medicinal products (EUR-Lex).
- European Medicines Agency. Advanced therapy medicinal products: overview.
- AEMPS. Terapias avanzadas.
- Rodas G, Soler-Rich R, et al. Am J Sports Med, 2021 (PMID 33783227).
- Vega A, et al. Transplantation, 2015 (PMID 25822648).
- Orozco Delclós L, Soler Rich R, et al. J Transl Med, 2024 (PMID 38789992).
Advanced cell therapy medicinal products based on cultured mesenchymal cells (CMC) require a medical prescription and individual authorisation from the AEMPS. This content is for educational purposes and does not replace medical advice. Clinical results depend on multiple factors and cannot be extrapolated between patients.