3.15 Gala | Influencer's Ten-Thousand-Yuan "Miracle Cure" Exosomes Actually Are a "Three-No" Product

“Exosomes have become extremely popular in the past two years, hailed as the darling of the anti-aging world.” This is one of the most popular product introductions in the recent medical aesthetics market. Journalists have learned from multiple medical publications and industry insiders that the miraculous substance promoted in videos, “exosomes,” is actually a bioactive substance secreted during stem cell cultivation. However, in the medical and academic communities, its mechanism of action, clinical testing, and other medical procedures are still unclear, remaining mostly in the stage of academic and theoretical research.

Precisely because this bioactive substance is still unconfirmed, some market vendors have sensed a business opportunity. In online marketing videos, exosomes are being used by some aesthetic clinics for beauty and anti-aging purposes. However, alongside the sensational promotional videos, there are also many consumer complaints and criticisms about “exosome anti-aging”: “I only received exosome treatment, and my whole face got infected with severe acne.”

Vendors are promoting aggressively, and some consumers are complaining that their rights are being infringed. According to reports, in June 2025, the National Medical Products Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation issued a draft for public comment, proposing to regulate exosomes with therapeutic functions and active ingredients as drugs. But this is only a draft for consultation, aimed at controlling the misuse or improper use of such substances in society. To date, no exosome drug has been approved for market sale in China. Even with regulatory red lines drawn, these unapproved “exosome anti-aging” products still circulate in some medical aesthetic fields and are sold at high prices.

To understand the situation more clearly, the reporter, based on consumer information, found a product called “Qingcheng,” an exosome product that is popular in major aesthetic clinics. The product claims to be a “Class II medical device.” However, the reporter learned that currently, China does not permit the sale of medical devices containing exosomes. The manufacturer, Haolin (Tianjin) Biotechnology Co., Ltd., clearly admitted that their product’s main ingredient is exosomes, but to evade market regulation, they used a collagen license. The illegal act of using a fake license was not concealed by the staff.

Haolin (Tianjin) Biotechnology Sales Staff: The products are all self-produced. The license we use now is for collagen. In the classification of medical devices, there is no category for exosomes.

The national regulatory authorities have strict requirements for exosomes. They are not allowed to be added to Class II medical devices, and no products containing exosomes have been approved for market. The staff at Haolin (Tianjin) Biotechnology are well aware of this.

Faking licenses, illegal additions, and illegal sales are not the full picture of the chaos surrounding exosomes. Although no products containing exosomes have been approved for sale in China so far, some companies in the market still engage in false advertising. They promote their exosome products not only for beauty and anti-aging but even exaggerate claims to treat various diseases.

The reporter, under the guise of cooperation, contacted Yuanchuang Gene Technology Co., Ltd., located in a city in Central China. The company strongly invited the reporter to visit. To demonstrate their strength, General Manager Han took the reporter to the tech exhibition hall and the so-called “laboratory.” Before entering the “laboratory,” wearing shoe covers, changing into dust-proof suits, and wearing hats are mandatory procedures. Han told the reporter that their exosome products are divided into several grades, with the lowest grade and least effective ones sold to the aesthetic industry.

Yuanchuang Gene Technology General Manager Han: According to technical difficulty levels, the aesthetic grade is the lowest, then sub-health care and chronic diseases, and the highest level is for tumor treatment.

Han openly admitted that they have already begun specific sales of exosomes for health regulation and disease treatment. He specifically told the reporter that the middle-aged and elderly people in the conference room next door came to their company after hearing online promotions, seeking “good remedies” for diseases.

Yuanchuang Gene Technology General Manager Han: Customers come here with examination reports, and we draft treatment plans. Then they come here for exosome injections for conditioning.

The reporter expressed interest in observing how the company injects exosomes into patients. Han said that their “exosome” injections carry significant regulatory risks. Since these products have not been approved by the state, they do not administer injections at their company, and thus refused the reporter’s request.

Continuing the investigation, the reporter found that, besides Yuanchuang Gene Technology, in a city in Southwest China, Jiebosai’er Biotechnology Co., Ltd., also openly admitted that they use exosomes to treat diseases.

Jiebosai’er Biotechnology General Manager Tan: We are medical-grade, dare to inject, dare to target. We shipped 360 doses this morning, one customer’s order, because their child has epilepsy, and they need a year’s worth.

Reporter: Is it the same product being injected?

Tan: It’s the same thing as used in beauty treatments, just different methods of use.

Seeing the reporter’s skepticism, Tan directly took out what she claimed was “medical-grade exosome frozen raw liquid” from the refrigerator and proudly showed it to the reporter. The packaging had no product information, clearly a “three-no” product (no approval, no registration, no license).

Reporter: Does it have a medical device or cosmetic registration number?

Tan: No, no, no. Exosomes are called a technology, not a product for sale.

Reporter: If it’s a product, that wouldn’t be acceptable, right?

Tan: The product is definitely not approved.

Reporter: Why?

Tan: It’s not approved yet. We can only provide technical services, which helps you avoid all legal risks.

Disguising “three-no” products as “technical services,” exosomes thus entered the market. To prove their medical efficacy, Tan took the reporter to the company’s so-called “laboratory” for a live demonstration.

Tan: We take the exosomes from here; this is the laboratory.

Just as she finished speaking, a call came in urging Tan to deliver exosome products. Hearing that a patient was about to receive treatment with exosomes, Tan invited the reporter to accompany her to deliver the product.

Following Tan, the group drove more than ten minutes to a local hospital. In the high-end medical area on the fifth floor, the reporter witnessed patients receiving intravenous injections of “three-no” exosomes!

Tan: This is the laboratory where they took the exosomes from. They’ve already been injected. The patient has foot discomfort and sub-health. This one has kidney issues. I was in a hurry and didn’t label them, but the bags have 250 billion particles of exosomes.

According to Tan, diseases like epilepsy, arthritis, and diabetes can be treated by injecting “three-no” exosomes. However, when the reporter asked to see data verifying the efficacy of exosomes, Tan refused. She also told the reporter that because the company lacks medical qualifications, exosome injections can only be done through cooperation with medical institutions, a practice industry insiders call “using a platform to substitute for direct injection.”

Reporter: How much do they charge for this?

Tan: Operation fee? Small room 500 yuan, large room (shared) 200 yuan.

The so-called “exosomes” without national approval, without clinical trials, and without any efficacy data are being packaged by these companies as “panacea” medicines, even injected into patients’ bodies through “platform borrowing.” The profits from this business are quite substantial.

Tan: The first time, 150 billion particles; the second time, 200 billion; the third time, 250 billion. Gradually increasing, totaling 600 billion particles, charged at 60,000 yuan.

Yang Yue, Researcher at Tsinghua University School of Pharmacy: All medical technologies and drugs must undergo very strict preclinical pharmacological research and clinical trials before human use. This rigorous process is necessary to verify safety and efficacy. Using unapproved products on humans carries risks. Once injected, these products can cause damage to organs and functions, even permanent harm.