Family Bank: Cordón Vital

About

Cordón Vital (CV) is a privately owned cord blood bank, headquartered in México City since 2002. CV has distinguished itself from its competitors through the employment of the latest available technologies and their outstanding customer service. CV is the exclusive representative in México of the United States bank Cord Blood Registry since 2002, and CV operates its own Lab in México City since 2009. In December 2022, Cordón Vital became the first and only cord blood bank in Mexico to achieve the challenging accreditation of the AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies). Apart from their private operation, CV has also excelled as an active supporter of stem cell donations for the public cord blood bank network.

Labs and Locations

Cordón Vital SA de CV - Acueducto Rio Hondo No.35, Colonia Lomas Virreyes, CP 11000 Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo, México City, México.

Business Experience

• Cordón Vital (CV) has marketed cord blood banking since 2001 and has operated their private lab since 2009.
• CV started collecting and processing cord tissue in March 2016.
• The bank has a qualified staff and  a round the clock emergency response team to attend custumers during unexpected situations.
• CV has a donation program for public banks and has a close working relationship with local medical authorities such as CNTS (Centro Nacional de la Transfusión Sanguínea) and the IMSS’s (Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social) public banks.
• CV works closely with Mexico’s scientific community.

Collection Kit

Cordón Vital collection kits are specifically designed to maximize the amount of recovered blood. They are equipped with:

• The collection bag has a two needle system that ensures that no debris impairs the collection process.
• The kit holds CPD Anticoagulant.
• 3 blood containers for the mother’s serological trials.
• Special container for cord tissue

Transportation container

The Cordón Vital transportation container has gel packs and thermal insulation equipment. It is validated to maintain room temperature under test conditions and is also guaranteed to maintain it for 48 hours at least. The transport container is equipped with a quadruple protection technology that includes:

• A stabilizing ring.
• A thermal layer.
• A poly paper precautionary bag.
• An impact resistant outer packaging layer.

This makes the kits resistant, compact, thermally balanced and overall stable.

Shipping Info

• Shipping arrangements are made by Cordón Vital and not by the customers.
• Contract prices include shipping.
• Standard shipping is done by FedEx, DHL and Intercom to the USA is available for an extra $280 USD.
• For internal shipping within Mexico, shipment is done through DHL, FedEx and/or through company employees.

Processing Method

Cordón Vital México separates stem cells with the automated Sepax system.

Components Stored

The final storage is the "buffy cost" of the cord blood holding white cells and stem cells, plus 3 testing portions.

Storage Method

• Final storage is in blood bags.
• Storage container is encased in over wrap and later in a metal canister.
• Cryopreservation consists in putting the samples into the vapor phase of cryogenic nitrogen.

Licensing & Accreditation

Cordón Vital

• The first and only cord blood bank in Mexico accredited by the international gold standard AABB
• Licensed by Comisión Federal Para La Protección Contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS)
• License Number: 09 TS 09 016 036
• Certified by ISO9001

Clinical Experience

To date Cordón Vital has not released privately stored cord blood for therapy. However, Cordón Vital has helped the public banks to collect over a thousand cord blood donations, and among them 8 went to therapy.

Insurance

• Families will receive a monetary amount in the event of a transplant or other stem cell therapy only if it fails.
• Stem cells are guaranteed to be kept in the unusual case that one parent or both should die before the child reaches adulthood.
• Annual fee will remain the same for up to 18 years.
• There is also a warrantee up to 2000 USD in case the stem cells require transportation.

Community Service

• Discounts are made to medical personnel.
• Cordón Vital has a community service program that collects cord blood donations for the public with IMSS (The Mexican Institute of social security) at their hospital Centro Medico Nacional La Raza and the CNTS (Centro Nacional de la Transfusion Sanguinea) public banks.
• Cordón Vital also has a directed donation program, to support families who have a child with disease conditions to store the cord blood of a newborn sibling.

Prices

Cordón Vital México

• Basic Package Cord Blood: $22,800 MXN (includes 1st year storage)
• Price for Cord Blood & Cord Tissue: (includes 1st year storage)
• Discount 7% for cash payment
• Discounts for pre-paid annual storage are available.
• Payment plans are available upon request.
• Cordón Vital México offers a free year for every customer recommended signing with Cordon Vital.

Prices with Additional Services

Cordón Vital is the only company in México, and one of very few in the world, where for each Cord Tissue collection:

• MSC are cultured from the tissue (the tissue is not frozen whole)
• the cultured cells are characterized to confirm they are MSC
• some of the cultured cells are allowed to further differentiate to confirm their viability before cryopreserving.