September 10, 2025 — In a landmark move for regenerative medicine, the European Commission has conditionally authorized Zemcelpro®, the first treatment in Europe to use expanded umbilical cord blood stem cells. Developed by Canadian biotech company ExCellThera, this therapy is only the second of its kind approved worldwide and represents a major advance in transplant options for patients with blood cancers such as leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes. [Read more…]
Congress Moves to Reauthorize Funding for National Cord Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Programs
Legislation would authorize $280 million over 5 years to support National Cord Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Programs.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. House has introduced new legislation to extend funding for two cornerstone programs that connect patients with life-saving stem cell treatments. The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2025 proposes more than $280 million in federal funding over the next five years, ensuring that these initiatives continue past their current 2026 expiration date. [Read more…]
EU Grants Approval to Zemcelpro, a Cord Blood–Derived Stem Cell Therapy for Blood Cancer Patients
In August 2025, the European Commission (EC) granted conditional marketing authorization (CMA) to Cordex Biologics, a subsidiary of ExCellThera, for Zemcelpro® (UM171 Cell Therapy), a personalized stem cell therapy derived from a single cord blood unit for blood cancer patients who lack access to a suitable donor for a traditional transplant. ExCellThera announced the news on August 27, 2025.
Zemcelpro is the first and only allogeneic cell therapy approved in the EU for this patient population. By leveraging ExCellThera’s proprietary UM171 expansion platform, the therapy enhances the viability and functionality of cord blood stem cells, overcoming a decades-long limitation: insufficient cell volume for adult transplantation. As such, Zemcelpro represents a major clinical milestone and a therapeutic breakthrough with the potential to expand the use of cord blood–derived cellular therapies in the EU and beyond. [Read more…]
Cord Blood Banking in Latin America – Interview with James Mendez of Cryoholdco
In this interview with James Alexis Mendez, we discuss the market strategy of CryoHoldco, a stem cell bank holding company that is the market leader in Latin America and one of the ten largest cord blood banks in the world. James Alexis Mendez currently serves as the CFO and Board member of CryoHoldco. Approaching 200,000 stem cell units in storage, CryoHoldco is more than 5X larger than any other stem cell bank in Latin America. CryoHoldco owns the cord blood market leaders in both Mexico and Colombia, and plans to expand into other regions of Latin America. [Read more…]
Amniotic Stem Cells: An Extension of the Cord Blood Banking Model
Amniotic stem cells, which can be sourced from the amniotic fluid or the placenta after a live, healthy birth, possess a unique blend of multipotency and lack of tumorigenicity. In an extension of the cord blood banking model, these cells may improve outcomes where long-term cell survival and functionality is important. Recently, I had the honor of interview Dr. Todd McAllister, Executive Director at the Amnion Foundation, a non-profit organization with the mission to build a genetically diverse public cell bank that can provide an immunological match to the majority of the population.
In this interview, we discuss the Amnion Foundation’s vision, research and clinical approach, scale-out strategy, and interest in joint partnerships that will support greater utilization of amniotic stem cells. It is captivating to get an insider look at the Amnion Foundation, a non-profit that is introducing a new extension to the traditional cord blood and tissue banking market.
As the cord blood banking market matures and consolidates and diversifies into new types of perinatal stem cell storage, the Amnion Foundation will be uniquely positioned to advise cord blood banks on how to integrate amniotic stem cell banking into their service portfolio.
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