Cord blood banking is defined as the collection and storage of stem cells present within the umbilical cord blood of a newborn for future medical use. Umbilical cord blood is rich in a type of stem cell known as a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC). A large market for the storage of these cells has come into existence over the past 30 years, with public and private cord blood banks now present in all major healthcare markets worldwide. [Read more…]
Cesca Therapeutics Receives 510(k) Clearance to Market Its AXP® II AutoXpress® Platform for Clinical Cord Blood Banking
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif., Nov. 19, 2018— Cesca Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: KOOL), a market leader in automated cell processing and point-of-care, autologous cell-based therapies, today announced that its device subsidiary, ThermoGenesis® Corp., has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for its proprietary AXP® II AutoXpress® Platform (AXP II) for clinical blood banking.
The AXP II, in combination with the Company’s companion, single-use, cell separation set provides automated, rapid and reliable harvest of stem and progenitor cells from collected units of umbilical cord blood in a “functionally-closed” sterile system. [Read more…]
Comparison of Top U.S. Cord Blood Banks – CBR, ViaCord, & Cryo-Cell
This article is a comparison of the top 3 largest U.S. cord blood banks.
In this article:
- The Purpose of Comparison
- Top 3 Largest U.S. Cord Blood Banks by Units Banked
- Cord Blood Bank Comparison | Top 3 U.S. Cord Blood Banks
What You Should Know About the Top Cord Blood Banks
The Purpose of Comparison
The standard used to identify these cord blood banks was the number of cord blood and cord tissue units stored by each company. The purpose of this analysis is to compare pricing and banking services among the largest cord blood banks within the U.S., the most mature cord blood banking market in the world. These three industry giants also represent several of the largest cord blood banks worldwide.
Top 3 Largest U.S. Cord Blood Banks by Units Banked
The three cord blood bank companies considered in this analysis are Cord Blood Registry (San Bruno, CA), ViaCord (Waltham, MA), and Cryo-Cell (Oldsmar, FL). These three companies are not only the three market leaders in the United States by the number of cord blood and cord tissue units banked but are also some of the largest cord blood banks worldwide.
1. Cord Blood Registry | CBR Cord Blood Registry
The Cord Blood Registry or CBR is unique because it is currently the world’s largest cord blood bank, with over a half million cord blood and cord tissue units stored to date. This is substantially more than its nearest competitor, ViaCord, which has 350,000 units stored. It was acquired by pharmaceutical giant, AMAG Pharmaceuticals, for $700 million in June 2015.
The company’s mission is “to support the advancement of newborn stem cell research, with the hope that the investment you are making now will be valuable to your family in the future.” They provide a high-quality system for the preservation of stem cells and its long-term storage. They created this system to protect the resources that can be beneficial to future medical uses of families who banked in them.
2. ViaCord Cord Blood Banking
Viacord stands out in the marketplace because it became a part of PerkinElmer, a global company with $2.2 billion dollars in annual revenue, since October of 2006. Currently, ViaCord has released the most cord blood units for medical transplant and has the highest survival rate for cord blood transplant among companies that have shared complete transplant data. The one-year survival rate for patients who were treated with the company’s cord blood units is 88%, and the long-term patient survival rate is 82%.1
The company’s approach is simple. They apply advanced science to provide their customers a high-quality collection of stem cells and storage procedure. Aside from umbilical cord tissue and cord blood banking, they also offer genomic testing, a diagnostic DNA testing to determine any health issues or disorders before symptoms appear. This procedure also helps families make better decisions in dealing with life-threatening diseases.
3. Cryo-Cell International Cord Blood Banking
In 1989, Cryo-Cell International was founded in Oldsmar, FL, making it the oldest cord blood bank in the world. In 1992, it began to store cord blood. In addition to pursuing a wide variety of accreditations (AABB, cGMP, and ISO 1345), it was the first private cord blood bank in the U.S. to be awarded FACT accreditation. In 2017, it initiated a $100,000 Engraftment Guarantee (previously $75,000), the highest quality guarantee of any U.S. cord blood bank. It is the only private bank in the U.S. to offer the PrepaCyte-CB cord blood banking technology, a system that leads the industry in engraftment times.
The company also offers two processing methods to their clients: the premium industry and standard, which they promise clients a return on investment. They don’t require an enrollment fee as well unless the child is born and the cord blood and cord tissue have been stored and processed. Cryo-Cell gives a referral reward of one-year free storage to existing customers who have friends or family members who will bank in them.
Cord Blood Bank Comparison | Top 3 U.S. Cord Blood Banks
Part of the reason for the dominance of these three companies in terms of the total number of units stored is that they are three of the oldest cord blood banks within the U.S., founded in 1992, 1993, and 1989, respectively. All three of these cord blood banks also support cord blood research and clinical trials, which play an important role in the success of stem cell treatment in regenerative medicine. These companies have also been successful with their stem cell campaign and are constantly getting bigger. A comparative analysis of services and features is shown below for these top 3 U.S. market leaders.
TABLE. Comparison of Services and Features Among the Top 3 U.S. Cord Blood Banks 
Next, a comparative analysis of pricing is shown below for these U.S. cord blood banking market.
TABLE. Cord Blood Banking Cost Comparison of the Top 3 U.S. Cord Blood Banks
One common thing among the top 3 cord blood banks is that they were established more than a decade ago and have continuously grown bigger over the years. It’s not surprising they are some of the largest blood banks in the world, as they have constantly evolved in terms of technology and services. Whichever company a family chooses to bank in, they can assure they are investing in the best cord blood bank.
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Which cord blood bank is the best in your opinion and how do you see them in the next 5 years? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
FOOTNOTES 1 Viacord.com, (2014). ViaCord – Complete Transplant Data. [online] Available at: http://www.viacord.com/Images/ViaCord_Transplant_260_060613_tcm117-153288.pdf [Accessed 47 July. 2017]. 2 Cordblood.com, (2014). Cord Blood Stem Cell Banking | Cord Blood Registry | CBR. [online] Available at: http://www.cordblood.com/cord-blood-banking-cost/cord-blood-stem-cells [Accessed 22 March. 2017]. 3 Viacord.com, (2014). How much does cord blood banking cost? | ViaCord. [online] Available at: http://www.viacord.com/pricing/cord-blood-banking/index.aspx [Accessed 11 Feb. 2017]. 4 Cryo-cell.com, (2014). Enrollment in the Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Stem Cell Service | Cryo-Cell. [online] Available at: http://www.cryo-cell.com/enroll [Accessed 4 Nov. 2016].
Stem Cell Cord Blood Guide
Umbilical cord blood present at birth contains a type of non-controversial stem cell. Called hematopoietic stem cells or HSCs, these stem cells can be used to treat up to 80 different conditions, including a range of childhood blood diseases and cancers. There are stem cells present within the umbilical cord tissue called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Stem and progenitor cells are also present in a range of other birth tissues, including placental blood and tissue and amniotic fluid and tissue.
The collection and storage of stem cells from cord blood is called cord blood banking and the companies that store these cells are called cord blood banks. In this way, many cellular “gifts” can be collected during a live birth. These valuable cells can then be stored for future therapeutic use by the child, the family, or the public at large.
If the medical discovery of stem cells from cord blood interests you, read on to learn about its latest developments. [Read more…]
Boston Biolife Announces Regenerative Medicine Workshop in Orlando, FL
Boston Biolife announces upcoming Regenerative Medicine Workshop to be held in Orlando, FL, from November 29 – December 2, 2018.
Boston BioLife is excited to announce its upcoming Regenerative Medicine Workshop in Orlando, Florida at the Omni Resort at Championsgate, November 29 – December 2nd, 2018. This is an amazing resort destination with two champion 18-hole golf courses that is family-friendly, offers spa amenities, and includes close proximity to all of the Disney Parks. [Read more…]