Stem cell therapy is a hot topic in Australia, but figuring out what’s actually available—and legal—can be confusing. While some treatments, like stem cell transplants for blood disorders, are fully approved, others—like stem cells for anti-aging or general wellness—are heavily restricted.
In this guide, we’ll break down what Stem Cell Treatments are allowed in Australia, what’s not, and where people are going for treatments they can’t get locally. Plus, we’ll cover the latest regulations, costs, and alternative options in countries like Japan, Thailand, and India.
What Is Stem Cell Treatment?
Stem cell therapy is all about using the body’s natural repair cells to heal damaged tissues. It’s being studied for everything from joint pain to neurodegenerative diseases. If you want the full breakdown, including how it works, the different types, and what it can (and can’t) do, check out our guide on How Stem Cell Therapy works.
Is Stem Cell Therapy Legal in Australia?
Yes, Stem cell therapy is legal in Australia, but tightly regulated. The TGA allows certain treatments, like using your own stem cells for joint issues or approved stem cell transplants for blood disorders. However, lab-grown (expanded) stem cell therapies are banned outside of clinical trials
Who Regulates Stem Cells in Australia?
The TGA regulates stem cell treatments in Australia, ensuring that only approved therapies—like certain autologous stem cell procedures—are legally available. However, there are some grey areas in the regulations. If you want to dive deeper into them, check it out here
What Stem Cell Treatments are Allowed in Australia?
Currently in Australia, using Your Own Stem Cells (Autologous Therapy) for arthritis, tendon injuries, or joint issues is allowed. So are Stem Cell Treatment for blood disorders too.
- Clinics can use your own stem cells, taken from fat (adipose tissue) or bone marrow. But here’s the catch: they can’t be grown or altered in a lab before reinjection, so the number of stem cells in your treatment is limited.
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants (HSCT) – Approved and widely used for blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. This involves transplanting blood-forming stem cells from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood.
- Clinical Trials – If you’re looking for more advanced treatments, hospitals and research centers run TGA-approved trials for conditions like spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis (MS), and neurological disorders—but these are strictly controlled and not commercially available.
What Stem Cell treatments are NOT Allowed in Australia?
- Expanded (Lab-Grown) Stem Cells – Clinics cannot grow, multiply, or modify stem cells in a lab unless they get specific TGA approval as an “Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product” (ATMP)—which very few have.
- Umbilical Cord Stem Cells in Private Clinics – If a private clinic in Australia is offering umbilical cord stem cell therapy, it’s not legal. These are only used in approved transplants and research trials.
- Stem Cell Treatments for Anti-Aging or Wellness – You might see clinics advertising stem cells for skin rejuvenation or general health, but these aren’t legally approved for commercial use outside research settings.
How Much Does Stem Cell Therapy Cost in Australia?
Orthopedic treatments typically cost between $7,000 and $20,000 AUD. It’s definitely not cheap!
But if you’re looking for more advanced or affordable options, countries like India, Thailand, and Japan offer treatments at slightly cheaper costs. Check out our guide on Average costs in different countries for a full breakdown of costs.
Does Medicare in Australia cover Stem Cell Treatments?
Yes, Medicare in Australia covers stem cell treatments for approved procedures like hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) used for blood disorders and cancers. But, cosmetic and unapproved treatments aren’t covered!
Where to Get Stem Cells Near Australia?
If you’re in Australia, nearby countries like Japan, Thailand, and India offer more advanced or affordable Stem Cell treatment options. (it’s up to you to decide if they’re better though!)
Here’s a quick look at them:
- Japan
Japan is a leader in stem cell research, with some of the strictest regulations in the world. Clinics offer a wide range of stem cell therapies for conditions. They just approved Stem Cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease too! If you’re looking for a highly regulated and safe option, Japan is one of the best choices—but they’re not as cheap as India or Thailand. Read our full guide on stem cell therapy in Japan here. - Thailand
A common choice for Australians seeking medical procedures, Thailand has a large number of stem cell clinics. Offering everything from joint therapy to anti-aging treatments.. Thailand is the only one of these three countries where umbilical cord-derived MSC therapy is legally available. But, it’s super important to choose the right clinic, regulations aren’t the tightest here.
If you’re considering treatment here, proper research is key. See our full breakdown of stem cell therapy in Thailand here. - India
If cost is a major factor, India is often the cheapest option. They have strong English speaking services too. However, India’s stem cell industry is less regulated, and the country has a mix of reputable hospitals and scam clinics. While some facilities offer advanced treatments, it’s super important to verify the credibility of any clinic before moving forward. Explore our full guide on stem cell therapy in India here.
Picking the right clinic is critical—which is why we’ve done the legwork to help you avoid risky providers. We’ve collated the best clinics in these regions for you already & we support you throughout the whole process!
If you want to know about other countries offering treatments, check out our Best Countries for Stem Cell Therapy Guide for a full comparison of top destinations, and what to watch out for.
Latest Stem Cell Research & advancements in Australia 2025
Australia is making big moves in stem cell research. The Stem Cell Therapies Mission (part of the MRFF) finalized its plans in 2023 to accelerate research. It funds trials for osteoarthritis, neurological diseases, and blood disorders to move promising treatments closer to real-world use. You can read more about the mission here!
Last year, in 2024 the government put $34.5 million into new projects aimed at tackling conditions like osteoarthritis, spinal cord injuries, and motor neuron disease. The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) is spreading its funding across six key research projects.
What’s Being Funded?
- Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment – A $7 million investment is going into clinical trials led by Melbourne-based Magellan Stem Cells, testing a donor stem cell therapy designed to repair joint damage and slow down osteoarthritis.
- Spinal Cord Injury Therapy – Griffith University received $6.8 million to develop a world-first treatment that could restore function after spinal cord injuries using transplanted stem cells.
- Motor Neuron Disease (MND) Research – The Florey Institute secured nearly $5 million to use patient-derived stem cells for drug testing, helping identify potential treatments that could keep motor neurons alive longer.
You can check out the full announcement to see who else got funding here.
Clearly, stem cell therapy is something the Australian government believes in—they wouldn’t be investing millions if they didn’t see real potential. In the next few years, expect BIG news to come out from these trials.
Should I Get Stem Cell Therapy in Australia?
Australia still tightly regulates stem cell therapy, and while research is making progress, most treatments aren’t available to the public yet. But Australia is investing big in the future of regenerative medicine, and breakthroughs are happening fast.
If you’re looking for treatment right now with high cell doses, you may need to explore options overseas like India, Thailand or Japan. If you specifically want umbilical cord derived Mesenchymal cells, Thailand’s the place. Check out the articles we shared earlier to help you make the right decision. When you’re ready to explore clinics, reach out to us here, we’d love to help!
We provide you with unbiased information helping you learn about Stem Cell Therapy & see if it’s right for you. Our platform can also connect you with the best clinics in the right areas & get you some cool discounts! Fill out our form here to learn more. ( Our Find a clinic page is coming soon!)
No, systemic stem cell treatments for anti-aging are not legally available in Australia.
Yes Stem cell therapy has shown real promise for arthritis, especially osteoarthritis. Some studies suggest it can help reduce pain and improve mobility, and there’s even early evidence it might slow cartilage damage. But, it’s not a guaranteed fix yet. Australia limited options means many people here explore treatment in countries like Japan, India or Thailand. If you want to read the latest studies on Arthritis, we’ve broken them down simply for you here.
Stem cells aren’t a guaranteed cure for baldness yet. Stem cell therapy might help with hair regrowth by reactivating dormant hair follicles and improving scalp health. Some studies show promising results, but long-term success is still being studied. In Australia, you can get stem cells for baldness, but you can only use your own stem cells. To learn more about how it works, we put together an article on Stem Cell Treatment for hair loss to explain in more detail.
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