CCTV 315 Gala Exposes Fake Anti-Aging Wonder Drugs, Three-No Products Exosomes Become Medical Beauty "Darling"

According to the CCTV 3.15 Evening Gala report, the recently popular miraculous substance in the medical beauty market, “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.

It is precisely this uncertain bioactive substance that some market vendors have seized as a business opportunity. In online marketing videos, exosomes are being used by some cosmetic clinics for anti-aging. However, alongside the sensational promotional videos, many consumers are complaining and criticizing about “exosomes for anti-aging”: “I just had exosomes, and my whole face got infected with severe acne.”

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 that rely on 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. As of now, China has not approved any exosome-based drugs for market sale. However, even with the regulatory red line drawn by authorities, these unapproved “exosome anti-aging” products remain popular in some medical beauty fields and are sold at high prices.

One such product, “Qingcheng,” is a so-called “product” that is popular in major cosmetic clinics. It claims to be a “Class II medical device.” Currently, China does not permit the sale of medical devices containing exosomes. The manufacturer, Haolin (Tianjin) Biotechnology Co., Ltd., stated that their product mainly contains exosomes, but to evade market regulation, they used a collagen license. The staff openly admitted to using a fake license.

Counterfeit licensing, illegal addition, and illegal sales are not the full picture of the chaos surrounding “exosomes.” Some companies in the market also engage in false advertising, claiming their “exosome” products can not only beautify and anti-age but even exaggerate to say they can treat multiple diseases!

At a company called Jieposai’er Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in a southwestern city, the company leader, Mr. Tan, openly told reporters that they are using “exosomes” to treat diseases. According to Mr. Tan, conditions like epilepsy, arthritis, and diabetes can be resolved by injecting “exosomes.” In the CCTV 3.15 Gala footage, Mr. Tan directly showed a so-called medical-grade exosome frozen raw liquid taken from a refrigerator. The packaging had no product information, making it a clear “three-no” product (no brand, no ingredients, no approval). Disguising this “three-no” product as “technical service,” “exosomes” thus entered the market. Mr. Tan also said that because their company lacks medical qualifications, the “exosome” injections can only be done through cooperation with medical institutions, a practice known in the industry as “borrowing a platform to perform.”

Thus, these so-called “exosomes” without national approval, clinical trials, or efficacy data are being packaged by some companies as “panacea” medicines that cure all diseases, even injected into patients’ bodies through a method called “borrowing a platform.” The profits from this business are quite substantial. Mr. Tan explained: “The first time, 150 billion particles; the second time, 200 billion particles; the third time, 250 billion particles. Gradually increasing, for a total of 600 billion particles, costing 60,000 yuan.”

Yang Yue, a researcher at Tsinghua University School of Pharmacy, stated that all medical technologies and drugs must undergo rigorous preclinical and clinical research before being used in humans. This strict process is necessary to verify the safety and efficacy of medical technologies and drugs. Using unapproved products on humans may pose risks. Once this product is injected into the body, it can cause damage to organs and functions, even permanent harm.

(Compiled from CCTV 3.15 Gala)

(Editors: Yang Yan, Lin Chen)