The Royal Gazette would like to make it clear that it stands by all articles it has printed on plans for an adult stem cell clinic in Winterhaven, Smith's.

It follows an inaccurate story in yesterday's Bermuda Sun, which wrongly claimed The Royal Gazette had made a detailed apology for describing the facility as a "sham" and a "money laundering expedition".

In fact, those remarks were published in our sister paper the Mid-Ocean News, which has since apologised to Stemedica, the California-based company teaming up with Premier Ewart Brown and wife Wanda for the Brown-Darrell Clinic.

Last Friday, The Royal Gazette carried an advert, under the headline 'Advertisement — An Apology To Stemedica'.

It referred to the use of the words "sham" and "money laundering expedition" in the Mid-Ocean News and stated in part: "The Mid-Ocean News now accept that these statements were erroneous.

"The Mid-Ocean News also wishes to make clear that the suggestions that Stemedica's proposed facility was a sham and that Stemedica was involved in money laundering are to the best of its knowledge completely false and without foundation.

"The Mid-Ocean News acknowledge that there exists nothing of which it is aware that would suggest other than that Stemedica is a reputable company with a scientific background.

"The Mid-Ocean News apologises unreservedly to Stemedica for any offence it may have caused them."

A similar apology ran on The Royal Gazette's website, which had also carried the Mid-Ocean News articles in question. However, yesterday's Bermuda Sun incorrectly reported that this newspaper had admitted to making "erroneous" statements which were "completely false and without foundation".

It also pointed to a Royal Gazette stem cells article, published on the first day of the Grand Slam of Golf last month, and incorrectly said it was "considered defamatory".

Yesterday afternoon, the Bermuda Sun's website published a correction stating: "We are happy to clarify that The Royal Gazette was mentioned in these apologies only because the Mid-Ocean News story was posted on the Gazette's website. The Bermuda Sun regrets the error."

The Bermuda Sun mistake appeared to be based on a press release from Stemedica, which ran the headline: "Stemedica receives apologies from Bermudian newspapers" and made repeated references to the Mid-Ocean News and The Royal Gazette.

Last month, George Daley, president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, warned desperately sick patients who could be heading to Bermuda not to be misled into believing the treatment was a miracle cure.

Dr. Daley, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, fears patients across the world with life-threatening illnesses are already being treated by medics who, he believes, take advantage of hype over stem cell treatment at great expense to the patient with no assurance of success.

Meanwhile Arthur Tucker, the Bermudian chairman of East London and the City Research Ethics Committee, has expressed concern of the consequences if adult stem cell work goes wrong.

Both doctors have commented about Bermuda's lack of stem cell legislations, with Dr. Daley saying he was very sceptical of anyone running experimental treatment in jurisdictions where there is no regulatory oversight.

The Brown-Darrell Clinic has said it would welcome and encourage legislation consistent with the international protocol practised by countries engaged in stem cell research.

However, it has not said whether it would delay the opening of the clinic until such legislations are in place, and the latest press release states it remains scheduled to open for clinical research using adult stem cells in the first quarter of 2008.

The statement also has a comment from Stemedica CEO Maynard Howe, who says: "Our products can provide valuable medical treatment to the citizens of Bermuda as well as economic value to the country. We are proud of our partnership with Doctor and Wanda Brown and the Brown-Darrell Clinic.

"We have always found them to be people who have the best interest of Bermuda in mind."