CorCell

About

CorCell is a subsidiary of Cord Blood America Inc., a public holding company with stakes in cord blood banks around the world.

Labs and Locations

Since Jan 2010, the parent company of CorCell has operated their own laboratory:
1857 Helm Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89119

Business Experience

CorCell has been banking cord blood since 1996.  Meanwhile, the public company Cord Blood America Inc. (Nasdaq OTCBB:CBAI) was formed in Los Angeles in Jan. 2005.  CBAI has grown through a series of acquisitions of companies that market family cord blood banking.  In each case CBAI has taken over the storage and revenue of the defunct bank's inventory.  CorCell was the largest acquisition of CBAI and has retained their operating name.

Acquisitions over the years:

• - Cord Partners of Los Angeles, founded 2003, was the first cord blood marketing company held by Cord Blood America.
• - Cryobank for Oncologic and Reproductive Donors (CORD), a bank with inventory of 750 in Middletown, NY, was acquired in Jan 2006.
• - CorCell, inventory of approximately 10,000 held at the lab of Community Blood Services in NJ, was acquired in Oct 2006.
• - CureSource, a marketing company based in Charlestown, South Carolina, was acquired in Aug. 2007.
• - In March 2010, CBAI acquired a 51% stake in Stellacure GmbH, a company in Hamburg, Germany, that markets private cord blood banking and uses the laboratory of the German Red Cross (DRK). CBAI also acquired a minority stake in Vidapluscm in Feb 2011, a company that markets for Stellacure in Spain. However, CBAI divested their stake in Stellacure in Oct. 2012.
  
• - In April 2010, CBAI acquired a 10% stake in China Stem Cells Ltd., and licensed their technology for 8.5% royalties from the subsidiary cord blood bank Well Care Stem Cell Biotech (Liaoning) Co. Ltd.
• - CBAI became the owner of BioCells, a family cord blood bank in Argentina, in Sept. 2010.
• - In the first half of 2011, CBAI acquired two related cord blood marketing companies based in Chicago: Reproductive Genetics Institute, Inc, and NeoCells.
• - Banco Vida in Puerto Rico is a marketing company that works with CBAI since Aug. 2011
  

Cord Blood America opened their own laboratory for processing cord blood in Las Vegas on 22 Jan. 2010.  CorCell is the brand name for cord blood banking.  The old cord blood inventory shipped from NJ to NV in spring 2010, and as of summer 2011 the inventory was about 20,000.  The director of laboratory construction and operations is Dr. Geoffrey John O'Neill, who in the past was Scientific/Medical Director for Cryo-Cell International.

CorCell has numerous insurance partners that offer preferred pricing to members of healthcare plans. The strategic vision of Cord Blood America is to become a "cellular pharmacy" for various types of cellular therapy.

On June 14, 2010 CBAI launched a radical "Afford-A-Cord" program, which reduces the initial cost of storing umbilical cord blood stem cells from $2075 to $495 plus medical courier service.  The offered price is less than the cost to properly process and freeze cord blood, but has the advantage of locking in future storage payments from clients who sign up during the program.  The storage fee for this program is $19 monthly.

Collection Kit

The CorCell collection kit includes the Pall collection bag that is sterile both inside and out so that it can be used in the operating room for a C-section.The bag uses the CPD anti-coagulant that is preferred by the FDA.  Disinfection supplies include the Chloraprep Swabstick.

Transportation Container

The CorCell transportation container meets IATA standards.

Shipping Info:

CorCell offers their clients medical courier shipping by AirNet for a flat fee of $150.

Processing Method

CorCell laboratory uses the PrepaCyte®-CB Cord Blood Processing System from the company the BioE.  It is a sedimentation system of manual processing that has a functionally closed system (therefore reduces risk of contamination) and easily allows batch processing. PrepaCyte-CB was validated by BioE to remove 99% of red blood cells from cord blood.  PrepaCyte-CB integrates with StemLab software from the company StemSoft Software Inc. to efficiently record, track and manage all associated cell processing and storage data.

Components Stored

The final storage of separated stem cells and white cells is in bags.

Storage Method

The CorCell freezers use the vapor phase of cryogenic nitrogen.

Licensing & Accreditation

CorCell is registered and inspected by the FDA.CorCell is licensed to operate in all 4 states that require licensing: CA, MD, NJ and NY.

Clinical Experience

• Live customer support is available 24/7/365: parents or physician can phone during delivery. 
• As of Sept 2011, CorCell has an inventory of over 20,000 cord blood collections in their Las Vegas lab.
  
• CorCell has released 7 cord blood collections from family storage for transplant (6 to the donor child and 1 to a sibling).
• If the number of collected stem cells is low (for transplant use), parents are informed and given the choice to store it anyway or not store it and receive a full refund.

Guarantees

CorCell provides clients with $50,000 engraftment insurance.

Community Service

Active military receive a $200 discount.

Prices

• CorCell's Afford-A-Cord™ financing program makes saving your baby's cord blood easier than ever. One low enrollment fee of $495 and low monthly payments of $19 from then on.
  
• The traditional pricing with annual storage fees is $150 enrollment, $150 courier transport, $1650 collection and processing, and $125 annual storage, for a total first year fee of $2075.
• Discount for twins.
• Payment plans available through CareCredit.
• Gift certificates are available.  
• Earn cash with Referral Rewards: $200 for you + $200 for your friend

Additional Services

Not Applicable.

Prices with Additional Services

Not Applicable.