Private Cord Blood Banks in Europe

ActiVision Life

INTERNET: www.activisionlife.com.pl; Email life@activision.com.pl   
PHONE: +48 (22) 8685-444 anytime
STORAGE: Lab and storage located in Warsaw, Poland, at the Marie Curie Oncology Center’s Dept. of Experimental Hematology, led by prof. Zygmunt Pojda

COMMENT: ActiVision Life SA an independent company offering cord blood services across the EU: Polish Headquarters are located in Warsaw, Poland and International Headquarters are located in Copenhagen, Denmark.   Website in Polish.

AFFILIATES:
  • Denmark: Office in Copenhagen: ActiVision Life International AS; Tel. +45 4593 4047
  • Lithuania: Office in Vilnius: ActiVision Life UAB; Tel. +370 5 279 6583 or +370 611 403 84

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Lab and storage are audited and approved by Ministry of Health and located in Warsaw, Poland, at the Marie Curie Oncology Center’s Dept. of Experimental Hematology.
    • Website offers an  animated map which can be used to locate "partners" in each province of Poland. These are maternity hospitals whose staff have been trained by ActiVision Life and certified by the National Transfusion Services Centre in the collection of cord blood.
    • Standard price of PLN 500 + PLN 1700 includes shipping by courier service from anywhere within Poland.  Shipping from any EU country costs up to 150 Euro extra, depending on the location.
    • Annual storage is PLN 395.  Long-term storage discounts are PLN 1500 for 5 years, PLN 2500 for 10 years, and PLN 3500 for 17 years.
    • Discount of 20% for healthcare employees, 10% for repeat customers and 20% for twins.
    • At customer's request, stored cells can be divided into two portions prior to freezing.
    • If a sibling has a disease that is treatable with stem cells, ActiVision Life provides services free of charge. As of May 2005, 54 children have banked cord blood under this charity program
    • As of Oct 2005, currency exchanges of Polish Zlotys are approx.  $1:3.80PLN or 1Euro:4.2PLN

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    Baby Cord

    INTERNET: SEE  AFFILIATES  LIST
    STORAGE: New England Cryogenic Center, Boston, MA.

    COMMENT:
    BabyCord is a brand name for international affiliates for the New England Cryogenic Center.  The exact name and web address of the bank may vary from one country to another.

    AFFILIATES:

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • The processing fee includes shipping costs and the first year of storage.

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    BasicCell GmbH

    INTERNET: www.basicccell.de
    PHONE: +49 (0) 8171-34 78-0 (24hr), 0800-000 30 84 (Germany only)
    OFFICE: Wolfratshausen, Germany
    STORAGE: Klinik für Thorax- und Kardiovaskularchirurgie at the Ruhr University of Bochum, in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany

    COMMENT: website in German

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • BasicCell is an independent company.
    • Processing method follows the procedures developed by Dr. Pablo Rubinstein at the NY Blood Center.
    • All-inclusive fee covers registration, processing, and 20 years storage.
    • Discount of Euro 100 for enrollment at least 3 months before due date.

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    CopyGene

    INTERNET: www.copygene.com; Email kundeservice@copygene.com  
    PHONE: 70 25 71 21
    OFFICE: København (Copenhagen) Denmark.
    STORAGE: Lab and storage are located in København (Copenhagen) Denmark.

    COMMENT: Website in Danish.

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    Crioestaminal

    INTERNET:  www.crioestaminal.pt
    PHONE: +351 239 700 377
     OFFICE: Coimbra, Portugal
    STORAGE: Instituto Pedro Nunes, Coimbra, Portugal

    COMMENT:
    Crioestaminal operates their own laboratory ina clean room.
    Website in Portugese and English

    CORD BLOOD SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Crioestaminal - Saúde e Tecnologia, SA was created in June 2003 and is a public limited company.
    • Crioestaminal was formerly a marketing outlet for Cryo-Save between July 2003 to June 2006.  In summer 2006 they began to operate their own laboratory in a clean room.
    • Crioestaminal operates in the scientific facility Instituto Pedro Nunes.

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    CryoBank Turkey

    INTERNET:  www.cryobankturkey.com
    STORAGE: Lab and storage in Santa Monica, California

    COMMENT: An affiliate of the American Company, California Cryobank
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    CryoMedica

    INTERNET: www.cryomedica.com; Email info@cryomedica.com  
    PHONE: 011 7 095 139-4871
    OFFICE: Russia; exact location confidential for security reasons
    STORAGE: Russia; exact location confidential for security reasons

    COMMENT:
    • First private cord blood bank in the Russian Federation. 
    • Provides banking throughout Russian speaking regions; delivery within 24 hours guaranteed for any major Russian Federation city. Stores in multiple Nunc[tm] cryovials.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Cryomedica is a registered Russian Federation company and not a subsidiary of any other company.
    • Courier services and first year of storage are included in processing fees. Annual storage fee of 150 US dollars is equivalent to paying $100 at a United States cord blood bank, plus 20% VAT, plus 5% local sales tax. Option to pre-pay processing plus storage for 15 years at a 25% discount.

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    Cryo-Save European Affiliates

    INTERNET: www.cryo-save.com  
    PHONE:  +41 55 420 40 03
    OFFICE: Cryo-Save Group AG in Pfäffikon SZ, Switzerland
    STORAGE: Laboratory in Mechelen, Belgium, accredited under ISO17025.
    As of early 2005, a second portion of the processed cord blood is being stored in a secret location in the Netherlands.

    COMMENT:
    • Cryo-Save is the largest private/family cord blood bank in Europe
    • The Cryo-Save laboratory in Belgium serves numerous European marketing affiliates.

    AFFILIATES:     Cryo-Save has numerous international affiliates, with websites available in a rainbow of languages. These affiliates are licensed by Cryo-Save, which means they receive training and technologies, but they are free to set their own pricing and marketing. 
      

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Prices listed in the summary table represent a direct contract with Belgium from Germany.
    • Since October 2007 Cryo-Save adopted automated laboratory processing to replace human handling; this reduces possible contamination and increases laboratory capacity. 
    • Cryo-Save processing method uses the automated Sepax system from the Swiss company Biosafe.  Sepax is an automated cell separation system which relies on a laser beam to sense the density gradient between different cell layers after the blood has been spun in a centrifuge.  The bag kit is sterile, functionally closed, and single-use.
    • Cryo-Save storage divides the final stem cell sample into two blood bags. 
    • The bags are split between two locations: the laboratory in Mechelen, Belgium, and a secret storage location in The Netherlands. 
    • Cryo-Save operates a charity program offering free banking if a first degree relative of the baby has a medical diagnosis which is currently treatable with stem cells. Parents should contact Cryo-Save for more information.
    • As of December 2007, Cryo-Save has approximately 70,000  cord blood collections in storage.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

     Originally, the Cryo-Save laboratory in Belgium was an affiliate of the American bank Cryo-Cell International in Clearwater, Florida.  The name change, from Cryo-Cell to Cryo-Save, dates to 19Sept2003, and reflected a legal dispute in the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial District in the state of Florida.  As of 17Feb2004, both parties entered into an amicable settlement and now operate as separate, non-affiliated entities.   Later, Cryo-Save became part of the European holding company, Life-Sciences Group N.V., and its affiliate in Switzerland Life-Sciences AG (Cryo-Save AG), collectively known as "Life Sciences".   As of 2007, Cryo-Save AG is the owner of the cord blood banking operation.

    During 2004-2006, Cryo-Save also marketed autologous storage of adult stem cells, through its "Cryo-Life" division.

    Prior to 2007, Cryo-Save processed cord blood by centrifuge spinning to separate MonoNuclear Cells.  Cells separated in this manner have a small final volume and were stored in vials, typically four per collection, split between the two storage locations.  In 2007, Cryo-Save switched to final storage in two bags.

    Cryo-Save has the largest inventory of private/family cord blood storage in Europe, numbering 70,000 collections by the end of 2007.  This makes them the fourth largest family cord blood bank in the world, after the three American banks Cord Blood Registry, Cryo-Cell, and Viacord.  They claim to hold a 50% share of the European market.  The Cryo-Save Group has never been, and does not intend to become, involved in the storage or expansion of embryonic stem cells.  Cryo-Save Group is a founding member of the International Tissue Engineering Research Association, an international scientific and medical consortium.

    Cryo-Save announced 30 January 2007 that they will also provide public cord blood storage under contract to the Italian non-profit health foundation Osidea.

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    Eticur

    INTERNET: www.eticur.de; Email info@eticur.de
    PHONE: +49-(0)89-12 59 81-0 or 0800-0-384287
    OFFICE: Martinsried near Munich

    COMMENT:
    • The name "Eticur" is a contraction of the words "ethice + cura" (Latin for "Ethics + Healing").
    • Eticur is affiliated with the department for transfusion medicine and heamatology of the University of Erlangen.
    • Website in German.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Registered with the German Dept of Health as of Nov. 2004.
    • The University Hospital Erlangen has operated a public cord blood bank for some time.
    • Blood of mother and baby are tested for infections (including direct virus detection by PCR) before further processing.
    • Cord blood is collected in bags, processed to separate mononuclear cells (MNC), and stored in vials. Viability of the separated stem cells is tested by cell culture (colony performing assay) before and after the freezing process. HLA-typing is routinely performed.
    • Eticur has adopted the same transport system developed by VITA34.
    • All-inclusive fee covers registration, processing, 21 years storage.
    • For siblings there is a 500 Euro discount.

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    Eurocord - Slovakia

    INTERNET: www.eurocord.sk
    PHONE: 00 421 2 5479 10 64
    OFFICE: Bratislava, Slovak Republic
    STORAGE: Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    COMMENT:
    Eurocord - Slovakia is the international name of the "Slovak Placental Haematopoietic Stem Cells Registry".
    They began in 1999 as a public cord blood bank collecting donations for transplants, which are listed on the registry Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW).  Since 2001, Eurocord - Slovakia has also provided private banking contracts, both directly and through Affiliate companies.

    AFFILIATES:
    The following companies market the services of the Eurocord - Slovakia laboratory throughout the Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and other European countries.  Web pages are available in a wide variety of languages.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Eurocord - Slovakia is certified by the Slovak Republic Ministry of Health and holds a certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) from the Slovak Republic Institute for Drug Control.
    • Shipping is included in the cost of the contract within Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, and Hungary.
    • Eurocord - Slovakia has supplied cord blood for 5 transplants: 1 autologous and 4 to a sibling.
    • If the cord blood collection was contaminated or fails quality control, parents receive a full refund.
    • If the cord blood collection is not sufficient for a transplant, parents have the choice of a discount or a refund.
    • Charity program: If a sibling has a disease which may require transplantation, Eurocord - Slovakia provides banking free of charge.  As of April 2006, 20 collections have been banked under this program and 4 have been transplanted.

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    Floramed

    INTERNET: www.floramed.ru; Email info@floramed.ru  
    PHONE: +7 (095) 234-5885

    COMMENT: Website in Russian.

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    FutureHealth Technologies, Ltd.

    INTERNET: www.futurehealth.co.uk; or Email info@futurehealth.co.uk
    PHONE: +44 (0) 115 967 7707
    OFFICE: UK / EU headquarters in Nottingham, England
    STORAGE: Nottingham Science and Technology Park, a technology incubator next to the University of Nottingham, Nottingham UK.

    COMMENT: Future Health is the first cord blood bank to be accredited by the UK Dept. of Health Code of Practice: certificate number 0083/00/00/0-44.  Future Health  is licensed to both receive and send cord blood samples: their cord blood may be legally used at any hospital within the EU; either for the donor, the donor's family, or an unrelated person.  Website in multiple languages.

    AFFILIATES:

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Future Health provides a sterile collection bag which already contains anti-coagulant.
    • The timing of the collection, whether before or after delivery of the placenta, is at the discretion of the obstetrician.
    • Future Health base price includes shipping.
    • Price shown for Europe is for Germany, France, and Switzerland.
    • In some countries there is an additional fee of Euro 200 for required maternal blood testing.
    • All shipping containers are carried by medical couriers (in most countries this is DHL).
    • The shipping package is thermally insulated to keep the blood close to room temperature.  The container was designed by Future Health and is accredited by an independent authorized testing lab to meet requirements of the UN3373 as well as IATA 650m for the transport of biological substances (category B).
    • Future Health processing method uses the automated Sepax system from the Swiss company Biosafe.  Sepax is an automated cell separation system which relies on a laser beam to sense the density gradient between different cell layers after the blood has been spun in a centrifuge.  The bag kit is sterile, functionally closed, and single-use. 
    • If the cord blood fails quality control, there is no charge for processing.
    • Final storage is in a bag with 2 compartments (80% and 20%), 2-3 testing segments, and separate vials of plasma and red cells are also saved.
    • The storage dewars are filled with the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen.
    • Discount of 20% processing and storage fees for returning customers; twin discount 50% on 2nd child.
    • As of Dec. 2007, Future Health claims an inventory of over 10,000 cord blood collections.

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    Gemabank

    INTERNET: www.gemabank.ru ; Email gemabank@gemabank.ru
    PHONE: +7 (095) 901-9170
    OFFICE: Moscow at the Russian Cancer Research Center
    STORAGE: laboratory and storage located in Moscow at the Russian Cancer Research Center

    COMMENT: Gemabank is a privately owned company. Website in Russian.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • The Russian Cancer Research Center has over 20 years experience in cryopreserving stem cells from blood and has performed successful transplantations.
    • Stem cells are processed by fractionation, followed by centrifuge separation.
    • Final storage is in cryogenic containers belonging to the Russian Cancer Research Center.
    • Price does not include shipping, but courier service is available upon request for an additional cost.
    • The initial $250 is a non-refundable cost to cover the collection kit and adminitrative fees, but the remainder will be returned if the collection is not successful. Payments can be made over 6 months with no interest charged.
    • Discounts offered to parents that have children with cancer (10%) or a multiple pregnancy (10%).

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    Genico

    INTERNET: www.genico.ch, Email info@genico.ch
    PHONE: +41 840 888 555
    OFFICE: Losone, Switzerland
    STORAGE: Losone, Switzerland

    COMMENTS:
    Genico is a private company which markets cord blood banking to the Italian speaking side of Switzerland.  Website in Italian.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Genico uses the laboratory services of Cryo-Save in Belgium (see above).
    • Genico collects in bags.
    • Cost includes courier transport by DHL at ambient temperature.
    • Cryo-Save processing method uses the automated Sepax system from the Swiss company Biosafe.  Sepax is an automated cell separation system which relies on a laser beam to sense the density gradient between different cell layers after the blood has been spun in a centrifuge.  The bag kit is sterile, functionally closed, and single-use.
    • Cryo-Save storage divides the final stem cell sample into two blood bags. 
    • The bags are split between two locations: the laboratory in Mechelen, Belgium, and a secret storage location in The Netherlands.
    • Discount € 200 for returning client, for twins the 2nd child is half price.
    • Traditional price model is an all-inclusive fee of  € 2480 for collection, processing, and 30 (not 20) years of storage.
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    GenKord

    INTERNET: www.genkord.com; Email genkord@genkord.com
    PHONE: (0212) 210 41 06
    OFFICE: several cities in Turkey; on the European side of Ýstanbul, Turkey.
    STORAGE: Laboratory and storage in several cities in Turkey; on the European side of Ýstanbul, Turkey. The laboratory has ISO 9001:2000 quality certification, and QMS Certificate by TSE (Turkish Standards Institute).

    COMMENT:
    • GenKord is an independent company; they conduct both cord blood storage and stem cell research.
    • Genkord is a partner with BIYOMEDTEK, an alliance of biotechnology companies and Hacettepe University in Ankara. This alliance is supported by TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey). Website in Turkish and some English.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • The medical director of GenKord is immunologist Dr. Gülderen Yanikkaya Demirel.
    • Price includes shipping by a nationwide courier service so that blood is delivered to the laboratory within 24 hours.
    • Parents have the choice of storing whole blood or separated MNCs (fees differ).
    • Laboratory processing uses the automated MNC separation system SEPAX by BIOSAFE, with storage in bags.
    • Price includes VAT. Discount available for 15 years prepaid storage.

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    Hemafund

    INTERNET: www.hemafund.com; or Email office@hemafund.com
    PHONE: +380 (44) 240 6827  (24/7)
    OFFICE: Kiev, Ukraine
    STORAGE: Kiev, Ukraine

    COMMENT:  Hemafund is not a subsidiary of another cord blood bank or cryogenic lab.  Website in Russian.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Contract includes private courier service.
    • Laboratory processing uses sedimentation followed by centrifuge.
    • First three years of storage are included in base price.
    • Discount price $2400 for enrollment plus 18 years storage.
    • Discount 20% to parents who have a child with cancer and 25% for multiple pregnancy.

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    Krio Institute Cell and Tissue Bank

    INTERNET: www.krio.hu
    PHONE: +36-1-416-7453
    OFFICE: headquarters in Budapest, Hungary
    STORAGE: Krio has two laboratories: the first is in Budapest, the second is in Miskolc, at the Dept. of Hematology of Miskolc Hospital.

    COMMENT: Krio Institute is a private cryobank dating back to 1998.  Their original business is sperm banking, both private and donation.  The cord blood storage division started in 2004.  Website in Hungarian and English.


    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Collected blood must arrive at the laboratory within 48 hours of birth.  Transport is usually by the father; the contract does not include courier service.
    • Director of laboratory operations is  István Balogh, Ph.D.
    • Laboratory processing consists of adding a cryopreservative and freezing the whole blood, first in a controlled rate freezer and then in a permanent storage tank.
    • Collection and storage is in one-compartment blood bags, but additional samples are stored in cryovials.
    • Final storage is in the vapor phase of cryogenic nitrogen.
    • There are 3 different payment plan options: pay Euro 1000 for processing and 20 years storage, pay Euro 800 for processing and 10 years storage, or pay Euro 560 now for processing and Euro 48 each year for storage.
    • Krio has a mutual protection agreement with the bank PBKM in Poland: in the event that either goes bankrupt, the other will continue storage.

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    Liaison Stem Cell banking

    INTERNET: www.liaison.com.gr
    PHONE: +30 2311 9999 80 / 81
    OFFICE + STORAGE: located in the business incubator THERMI in Thessaloniki, Greece

    COMMENT:
    Liaison is the first cord blood bank based in Greece and holds the ISO 15189 accreditation for clinical laboratories.   Website in Greek and English.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Liaison ships cord blood in a box insulated with gel packs and uses a nationwide courier which guarantees delivery to the laboratory within 24 hours.
    • Liaison processing method is the Sepax system from the Swiss company Biosafe.
    • Sepax is a fully automated cell separation system which relies on a laser beam to sense the density gradient between different cell layers after the blood has been spun in a centrifuge.  The bag kit is sterile, functionally closed, and single-use.  
    • Final storage is in Pall bags with two compartments.
    • Processing fee covers 20 years storage.
    • For twins, the second child is discounted 50%.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
    The founders of Liaison are members of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the scientific staff of the company are PhD-level scientists.

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    LifeBank Laboratory Limited

    INTERNET: www.lifebanklab.com; Email info@lifebanklab.com
    PHONE: (+357) 7000 8484
    OFFICE: headquarters in Pafos, Cyprus
    STORAGE: laboratory is located in the private hospital Evangelismos Hospital, Pafos, Cyprus 

    COMMENT: Strategic alliance with Chaim Sheba Medical Centre of Tel Hashomer Hospital in Israel. All scientific and medical staff were trained at Tel Hashomer. Website in Greek and English.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Storage costs Euro 720 for the first 5 years. Other options are Euro 935 for 10 years or Euro 1100 for 20 years.
    • Price includes courier transport.

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    Lifecord

    INTERNET: www.lifecord.org; Emails office@lifecord.at or info@lifecordturkey.com
    PHONE: +43 316 722 866-12; 
    OFFICE: Graz, Austria.
    STORAGE: Lab and storage are located in Graz, Austria.

    COMMENT: Website in German, Austrian, and Turkish.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Cord blood is processed by two stages of Ficoll density gradient centrifuge.
    • Final fee only covers 5 years of storage.

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    Lifeline (Cord Blood Bank Lifeline Biotech Ltd.)

    INTERNET: www.lifeline.com.cy; Email info@lifeline.com.cy  
    PHONE: +(357) 7777 2000
    OFFICE: headquarters Nicosia, Cyprus
    STORAGE: laboratory Nicosia, Cyprus

    COMMENT: Scientific Advisory Board are all educated in England. Website in Greek and English.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Cyprus will join the European Union in May 2004: Storage standards are consistent with the UK Code of Practice for tissue banks.
    • Cyprus has the lowest corporate tax rate in the EU: a flat 10%, for both local and offshore companies.
    • As of March 2004, the exchange rate is one Cyprus pound is worth 1.7 Euro.
    • Cyprus residents pay different prices from those listed here! Check the Lifeline website.
    • Price does not include shipping. If cord blood fails quality control, there is no charge for processing. In the case of twins, 50% off the second child.
    • Option to pre-pay storage for 18 years for Euro 1240. Plans to finance payments through a bank are available.
    • If a family member has a disease that is treatable with stem cells, Lifeline provides services free of charge.

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    LongaVita

    INTERNET: www.longavita.pl; Email pzieba@longavita.com
    PHONE: +48 (91) 485 46 05
    OFFICE: Krakow, Poland.

    COMMENT: Markets only to Poland; website in Polish.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Prepay long-term storage at a discount.

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    Polish Stem Cell Bank S.A. (PBKM)

    INTERNET: www.pbkm.pl
    PHONE: +48 (22) 436-40-50 anytime
    STORAGE: lab and storage located at The Children's Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw, Poland

    COMMENTS:
    PBKM is an independent company.  They are the only cord blood bank in Poland which operates their own laboratory without any sub-contractors.  PBKM operates in Poland and, through daughter companies, in Latvia and Romania.
    AFFILIATES:
    • Latvia: Riga office of ActiVision Life SIA; Tel. +371 760 5536 or +371 920 6014
    • Romania: Biogenis
    • Spain: VidaCord sends collections to the lab of PBKM

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • PBKM has the only cord blood lab in Poland to be inspected by the Poland National Centre of Transfusion Medicine and Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.  Accredited by AABB and ISO 9001:2000.
    • PBKM guarantees not to exceed 24 hours from collection to storage for collections within Poland.
    • The PBKM website has an animated map showing collection centers at maternity hospitals where staff have been trained by PBKM and certified by the National Transfusion Service to collect cord blood.
    • Pricing is PLN 600 for collection kit plus PLN 1790 for processing, and then PLN 400 per year for storage.  
    • Price includes transport of the cord blood by a dedicated medical courier.
    • The first year of storage is included in the processing fee.
    • Discounts for pre-paid storage.
    • Discounts available for health care employees, repeat customers, twin birth.
    • If a sibling has a disease that is treatable with stem cells, PBKM provides services free of charge.
    • PBKM has a mutual protection agreement with the bank Krio in Hungary: in the event that either goes bankrupt, the other will continue storage.
    • PBKM has a signed agreement with the Polish Academy of Sciences to cooperate on stem cell research.
    • PBKM is a member of the European Association of Family Cord Blood Banks
    • As of Mar. 2008, PBKM claims an inventory of over 10,000 cord blood collections.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

    The President of PBKM Medical Council is Jan Sablinski, M.D., Ph.D.  Among the seven members of the council is Zbigniew Roger Mrowiec, Ph.D., of the Community Blood Services blood bank in New Jersey, USA.

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    Progenis

    INTERNET: www.progenis.pl or Email daria.malicka@progenis.pl
    PHONE:  +48 22 627 03 70, or   +48 12 651 28 51
    OFFICE + STORAGE:  Department of Transplantology at University Children's Hospital in Krakow and in Department of Transfusions at Military  Institute of the Health Services in Warsaw ( Poland)

    COMMENTS:
    Progenis markets only to Poland; website in Polish.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Progenis  acts in cooperation with University Children's Hospital in Krakow and Military  Institute of the Health Services in Warsaw.  These research centers have many years experience in banking and transplanting cord blood stem cells.
    • Progenis participates in stem cell research.  The Stem Cell Therapeutics Excellence Centre is located in the University Children’s Hospital in Krakow.
    • The first pricing option is PLN 500 for collection kit, taking blood and shipping by a medical courier service from anywhere within Poland plus PLN 2450 for processing, and then PLN 395 per year for storage. 
    •  An alternate pricing option is PLN 600 plus PLN 1590, and then PLN 395 per year for storage.
    • The first year of storage is included in processing fee.
    • Long-term storage discounts are PLN 1600 for 5 years, PLN 2700 for 10 years, and PLN 3900 for 17 years.
    • At customer's request, stored cells can be divided into two portions prior to freezing.

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    Regenerative Cell Bank (RCB)

    INTERNET: www.rcb-cellbank.ch; Email cordon.ombilical@rcb-cellbank.ch 
    PHONE: +41 021 601 5330
    OFFICE: Lausanne, Switzerland
    STORAGE: The processing and storage of cord blood are performed by Future Health Technologies, Ltd. in the UK

    COMMENT: Regenerative Cell Bank SA ("RCB") is a private company dedicated to family cord blood storage. The website is in French, but communications are available in German and English upon request.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Regenerative Cell Bank SA has been audited by Swissmedic (the Swiss certification agency) and approved by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (SFOPH).
    • RCB website is accredited by Health on the Net Foundation (HON)
    • RCB takes charge of all logistics: ensuring proper training of birthing staff and transporting the blood by medical courier.
    • All-inclusive price covers blood test, collection kit, shipping and administrative services (the first 950 SFr or about € 610), plus processing and storage for twenty years (the final 2850 SFr or about € 1840).
    • The initial fee (first 950 SFr or about € 610) is reimbursed if the collection cannot be performed, provided the kit is unopened.
    • The final fee will not be charged if it was impossible to process and store the cells, and it will be reimbursed if the second blood test shows disease and the storage is cancelled.

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    Secuvita

    INTERNET: www.secuvita.com or www.secuvita.es  or Email info@secuvita.es
    PHONE: 902-998-013 or
    OFFICE: Madrid, Spain
    STORAGE: VITA34 in Leipzig, Germany

    COMMENT:  Secuvita arranges for the collection and shipment of cord blood in Spain, but it is processed and stored at the laboratory of VITA34 under German GMP conditions.  Website in Spanish.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Phone number to call for transport is 902-995-884
    • Secuvita uses the proprietary shipping package of VITA34, which is heavily insulated and contains a temperature monitoring chip.
    • First year of storage inlcuded in processing fee.
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    Smart Cells International

    INTERNET: www.smartcells.com;  Email uk@smartcells.com
    PHONE: +44 (0) 207 436 9966  
    OFFICE: UK / EU headquarters in London
    STORAGE: BioVault cryogenic laboratory in Plymouth, England.  BioVault holds the following accreditations:
    • United Kingdom Human Tissue Authority, License 11063.
    • UK Medical and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Certificate 21883. 
    • GMP compliant as  Tissue Bank 1045465.
    • ISO 9001:2000 certification number US04/3798.
     
    COMMENT: 
    The Smart Cells Partner Laboratory at BioVault is approved to provide tissue bank services to the National Health Service and to private clients.

    AFFILIATES:
    The Smart Cells service package may differ from one country to another according to local regulations.  Please check the local office for details.  Prices for the first year range from     £995 to £1895 (As of March 2008).

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Enrollment fee of £195 covers kit and is not refundable.
    • Smart Cells uses a proprietary collection kit designed to maintain the cord blood at ambient temperature during shipping.
    • Technicians in the Partner Laboratory at BioVault separate MonoNuclear Cells by centrifuge.
    • Laboratory provides the stem cell marker CD34+ test used by transplant centres.
    • Final storage is in Pall blood bags which have two portions holding 80%/20% volume.
    • Cryogenic storage is in the vapour phase of liquid nitrogen.
    • Smart Cells stores 100% of you child's stem cells for your family.
    • The Smart Cells contract covers 25 years of storage.
    • Smart Cells will not conduct any research on your child's cells, nor will they donate any cells without your permission.
    • Clients will receive a complete refund if the cells are transplanted within one year of storage. 
    • No hidden costs.  Payment plans are available and discounts on pre-paid storage are available.
    • As of March 2008, Smart Cells claims an inventory of 12,000 cord blood collections from 12 countries, and has released 2 successful transplants.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
    This company has always been independently owned. It was formerly named CryoCare (UK) Ltd and prior to 2004 used the Cryo-Save laboratory in Mechelen, Belgium.  The managing director of Smart Cells International is Shamshad Ahmed.  SmartCells also has an Advisory Board of leaders in the fields of medicine and ethics.

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    StellaCure GmbH

    INTERNET: www.stellacure.com
    PHONE: 0800 - 000 66 57 or +49 (0) 40 46 96 76 10 
    OFFICE: Hamburg or Frankfurt, Germany
    STORAGE: Red Cross Donation Service, Frankfurt/Main

    COMMENTS:
    StellaCure is a family cord blood banking service which is a partner to the public cord blood bank operated by the German version of the Red Cross, DRK.  Website in German.
    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • The laboratory of StellaCure is located in the Red Cross Donation Service of Frankfurt: "Blutspendedienst des DRK Baden-Württemberg – Hessen"
    • This laboratory has been providing public cord blood banking since 1996; the family service via StellaCure was begun in 2006.
    • Cord blood collections for StellaCure clients go through the same level of quality control required for public donations of cord blood.
    • The laboratory does not separate MonoNuclear Cells, but stores whole blood after some volume reduction.  The volume reduction employs the automated Sepax equipment from the Swiss company Biosafe.
    • StellaCure collects into bags by gravity and final storage is in bags with two compartments 80%/20%.
    • Cost includes transport with a courier service trained to transport human tissues and cells. 
    • Transport box includes electronic chip to monitor temperature.
    • Once cord blood is frozen, it is stored in a quarantine tank using vapour phase of liquid nitrogen.  Those collections which pass infectious disease testing go into long term storage in liquid nitrogen.
    • First year of storage is included in processing fee.
    • Discount available for pre-paid storage.
    • Discount 20% for medical professionals.
    • The DRK will guarantee the storage of the cord blood for the duration of the contract, if StellaCure should go out of business.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
    StellaCure is the first family bank to partner with the German Red Cross, DRK.  The DRK public cord blood bank in Frankfurt has accumulated an inventory of 2000 collections (as of March 2008) since 1996. 

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    Stemcare

    INTERNET: www.stemcare.dk;  info@stemcare.dk
    PHONE: 70 42 40 38
    OFFICE: Denmark
    STORAGE: Denmark

    COMMENT: Website in Danish
    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Originally, Stemcare shipped cord blood to the laboratory of VITA34, in Leipzig, Germany
    • As of spring 2005, Stemcare processes and stores cord blood in their own laboratory, using proprietary GMP technology from VITA34.

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    Stem Cell, Banco de Celulas Madre

    INTERNET:  www.bancostemcell.com
    PHONE: 70 42 40 38
    OFFICE: Spain
    STORAGE: Spain

    COMMENT: Website in Spanish

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:


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    VITA34

    INTERNET: www.vita34.de,  Email info@vita34.de
    PHONE: +49 (341) 4879290
    OFFICE: Leipzig, Germany
    STORAGE: Leipzig, Germany-- Virtual tour of entire laboratory (requires web browser Internet Explorer)

    COMMENTS:
    • VITA34 was the first family cord blood bank on the European continent.
    • VITA34 only provides banking throughout the area reachable by 24 hour courier.
    • VITA34 is the only private bank in the world which provides insurance to guarantee storage if the company goes out of business.
    • VITA34 is the first family bank in Europe to offer parents the option of donating their child's cord blood if it matches a patient needing a transplant.
    • Website in multiple languages.

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • The first transplant in Europe using privately banked cord blood took place on 26 Sept 2005.  The blood had been stored at VITA34 on 8 Feb 2005 and was transplanted to treat a 5 year old brother with aplastic anemia.
    • List of VITA34 transplants; one is autologous
    • VITA34 moved to a new building in Leipzig in Aug 2003: it features a glass laboratory where visitors can observe cord blood processing in a clean room. Virtual tour of entire laboratory (this link only works with the browser Microsoft Internet Explorer).
    • VITA34 has applied for a patent (Feb 2006) on their sterile technique of processing cord blood.  The new VITA34 system maintains sterility from collection through processing and storage.
    • Collection kit contains extra disinfection supplies. Collection training provided at 2-3 hospitals per week.
    • Cost includes temperature-controlled courier transport by express train; delivery within 24 hours guaranteed for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark.
    • Transport box includes electronic chip to monitor temperature.
    • VITA34 contract is for indefinite storage, not just 18 or 20 years.
    • Traditional price model is an all-inclusive fee of Euro 1990 for collection and processing plus the first year of storage, beginning the second year the storage fee is Euro 30 per year.
    • Another alternative is to pay 20 years of storage in advance for Euro 2400, saving Euro 160.
    • If the sample fails infectious disease testing, there is no charge to parents. If the sample can be stored but the parents choose not to store, only Euro 150 charged.
    • Parents can cancel their contract within 4 weeks of collection without cause.
    • Listed price is for Germany only; elsewhere cost adjusted to cover transportation.
    • Sibling Transplant Program provides free banking if a sibling has a disease that is treated with transplantation. As of May 2004, 70 children have banked cord blood under this charity program.
    • VITAplusDonation (available starting 1 Jan 2008) gives parents the option to undergo further typing and testing and list the cord blood on a registry.  If the cord blood matches a patient needing a transplant, parents can choose to donate the cord blood to the patient and receive reimbursement from the bank.
    • The fact that VITA34 is allowed to transfer private clients to public donations shows that their quality control meets all the requirements for public banking.
    • As of 15 Nov 2007, VITA34 claims an inventory of 44,000 cord blood collections.

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
    VITA 34 has several research partners in Germany and Austria. Topics of research include:
    • cord blood expansion
    • cord blood treatment of stroke
    • cord blood treatment of myocardial infarction
    • cord blood treatment of newborn brain disease
    • cord blood treatment of Parkinson's disease
    • influence of steroids on cord blood
    • basic stem cell research

    On 23 March 2007, VITA34 International AG became a publicly traded company.  The release of 600,000 shares at 15 Euro each created a cash inflow of 9 million Euro to fuel accelerated growth.  VITA34 is listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange, all shares are  graded "prime".  VITA34 estimates that nearly 90% of families storing cord blood in Germany are using their services.

    VITA34 is one of the first private banks in the world to combine family storage with public donation, through their VITAplusDonation program.  Previously, CryoLife in Hong Kong offered the CryoMATCH service, whereby parents could agree to have the blood listed on a registry and parents made the decision whether to release it if it matched a patient.  Then Virgin Health Bank in the UK started a program whereby the parents kept 20% of the cord blood and 80% went into a public bank.  In the VITAplusDonation program, the cord blood remians the property of the parents but it undergoes the testing and typing that allow it to be available to a patient needing a transplant.  If parents choose to donate the blood they will be fully reimbursed by the bank.  VITA34 is the only private cord blood bank in Germany which has a pharmaceutical permit for the storage of donated cord blood intended for unrelated patients (called allogeneic transplants).  This program fills the desire of parents to be able to help their own family and society at the same time.

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    Vidacord

    INTERNET: www.vidacord.es
    PHONE: 902-007-345
    OFFICE: Madrid, Spain
    STORAGE: Madrid, Spain

    COMMENTS:


    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

    • Vidacord offers private customers the option to register their child's HLA type on a registry, so that if a patient needs the unit for a transplant, the family has the option to release it.
    • Standard contract covers storage for 20 years.

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    Vitacord

    INTERNET: www.vitacord.at;  Email office@vitacord.at
    PHONE: 01/577 49 30
    OFFICE: Austria

    COMMENT: website in German

    SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:
    • Storage costs Euro 400 for the first 5 years and Euro 430 for the next 13 years.

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    Yasam Bankasi

    INTERNET: www.kordonkanibankasi.com;  Email info@kordonkanibankasi.com  
    PHONE: +90 312 446 42 44
    OFFICE: Turkey

    COMMENT: Website in Turkish and partial English
     
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    Last modified: 06.May 2008
    Copyright 2000 - 2008 Frances Verter