Family Cord Blood Banks in the USA

INTERNET: www.alphacord.com
PHONE: 866-396-7283
OFFICE: Atlanta, GA
STORAGE: depends on the lab, see COMMENT
ACCREDITATION: labs have AABB, except for Utah

COMMENT:
AlphaCord is the only cord blood company which offers parents a choice between multiple labs.  Alpha Cord is committed to providing  parents the best pricing.  These are the laboratories which are currently accepting AlphaCord clients:

• AlphaCord / California: CordBancUSA
  
• AlphaCord / Colorado: University of Colorado
  
• AlphaCord / Illinois:  ITxM / LifeSource
• AlphaCord / Indiana:  The Genesis Bank
• AlphaCord / New Jersey:  Community Blood Services
• AlphaCord / Utah: Utah Cord Bank
  

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Parents may choose any of the labs in the AlphaCord network (Exception: Parents in NY or NJ must use a lab which is accredited by the state of NY or NJ, which limits the choices to the New Jersey or Indiana labs above).
  
• Cord blood collections from AlphaCord parents are treated the same way in the laboratory as any other clients.
• Fees start as low as $775 with the ability to make monthly payments as low as $99.
• AlphaCord holds prices down by not including courier shipping services.
• "The AlphaCord Outreach Program", is a charity program which will provide free banking for 4-6 families per year, based on medical need.  Call to inquire.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

AlphaCord was founded in 2002 with the philosophy of serving as a "broker", a marketing company which offered clients a better price than any other contract with the same lab.  Over the years they have been very successful at capturing the segment of the market for which price is a primary concern.  The company now offers contracts with laboratories across the country and is staffed by six employees in an office.  Feeder web sites:  www.CordBloodQuestions.com

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INTERNET: www.AssureImmune.com
PHONE: 1-888-3immune (888-346-6863)
OFFICE: Boca Raton, FL
STORAGE: Boca Raton, FL
ACCREDITATION: in process (new lab)

COMMENT:
AssureImmune markets the storage of  "adult" stem cells, either from the peripheral blood of adults or from the cord blood of newborns.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• The laboratory of AssureImmune is located in the Research and Development Park of Florida Atlantic University.
  
• AssureImmune collection relies on gravity drip into a blood bag.
• AssureImmune provides overnight transportation of the blood collection as part of their contract.  The desired temperature during shipping is 55-85 F.
  
• AssureImmune separates MonoNuclear Cells with the AutoXpress Process (AXP) developed by  Thermogenesis.  This method is an automated, fully closed, and sterile system.
  
• AssureImmune stores cells in the automated BioArchive freezer developed by Thermogenesis.
• For final storage, the blood bag is first wrapped in a sealed teflon sheath to keep each client's cells quarantined.
  
• If the collection is large enough, a portion is stored at a second facility in Maryland.
  
• Contract price of $1995 includes first year of storage.
• Discount for prepaid storage.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The founders and management of AssureImmune as well as their Scientific Advisory Board have many years of experience and expertise in cell preservation.

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INTERNET: www.corcell.com
PHONE: 888-882-2673 (CORD)
OFFICE: Las Vegas, NV
STORAGE: Las Vegas, NV
ACCREDITATION: Brand new lab opened 22 Jan 2010, awaiting accreditation

COMMENT: Cord Blood America is a publicly held (Nasdaq OTCBB:CBAI) holding company which offers cord blood banking through CorCell.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Afford-A-Cord program launched June 14, 2010 lowers the initial processing fee from $2075 to $495 (excluding courier service) for a limited time.
  
• As of July 1, 2010 the CorCell collection kit includes the sterile Pall collection bag that can be used in operating rooms for C-sections.
• Live customer support is available 24/7; parents or physician can phone during delivery.
• The 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.
• 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.
• CorCell uses bags for both the blood collection and the final storage of the processed cells.
• Initial fees (Feb 2010) were $150 enrollment, $150 courier transport, $1650 collection and processing, and $125 annual storage, for a total first year fee of $2075
• Payment plans and gift certificates are available.  Discount for twins.
  
• Refer a friend and get one year free.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The marketing corporation which became Cord Blood America was founded in 2003.  On 13 Oct 2006, Cord Blood America acquired CorCell, a Philadelphia company which had been marketing family cord blood storage since 1996.  Up until 2010, Cord Blood America sub-contracted laboratory services to an outside cord blood lab.  In 2009, Cord Blood America moved its headquarters to Las Vegas NV, and began construction of its own laboratory.  The new lab opened on Jan 22, 2010 and CorCell now processes and stores all collections at this site.  The inventory from NJ shipped to NV in spring 2010.  The medical director of Cord Blood America is Dr. Shamoon Ahmad, an oncologist who trained with the bone marrow transplant program at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York and as of Feb. 2010 serves on the Board of the Nevada Oncology Society.  The laboratory director, as of June 2010, is Lydia Coleman, previously the Lab Services Manager at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas.  More information about this company is available on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.CordBancUSA.com
PHONE: 1-888-273-7770
OFFICE: Monterey, CA
STORAGE: Monterey, CA
ACCREDITATION: California Biologics (comparable to AABB)

COMMENT:
CordBancUSA is a subsidiary of BioBancUSA.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• CordBancUSA collection relies on gravity drip into a blood bag.
• Their collection kit is packed with insulation and gel packs to maintain rom temperature.
• CordBancUSA aims to process cord blood within 36 hours of collection.
  
• CordBancUSA separates MonoNuclear Cells with the AutoXpress Process (AXP) developed by  Thermogenesis.  This method is an automated, fully closed, and sterile system.
  
• CordBancUSA stores cells in the automated BioArchive freezer developed by Thermogenesis.
• Final storage is in a compartmented blood bag.
  
• Contract price of $1395 includes first year of storage.
• Payment plans are available.
• Discount for twins.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

BioBancUSA was founded in 2006 and launched operations in April 2007  offering a new type of service: white blood cell banking.  This is essentially banking your mature immune system.  CordBancUSA uses the same technology platform to separate the components of cord blood.  Further information is available on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.cordblood.com
PHONE: 888-CORDBLOOD
OFFICE: San Bruno, CA
STORAGE: Tucson, AZ
ACCREDITATION: AABB, CA, MD, NJ, NY

COMMENT: CBR is one of the original family cord blood banks.  CBR is the world's largest cord blood bank, either private or public, and has the most experience with family transplants from their lab.

CORD BLOOD BANKING SERVICES:

• List of CBR transplants.
• Real people, real stories of patients whose family banked with CBR
  
• Video center: cord blood collection, processing, transplant, etc.
• Live customer support available 24/7; parents or physician can phone during delivery.
• As of 1 March 2010 CBR launched a new collection system manufactured by Pall.  It is a classic bag collection kit, but the tube has an active flow chamber that allows the collector to see the blood flow and the chamber can be squeezed to clear clogs and improve flow.
• The new squeeze chamber in the collection kit enables a bit of suction to improve collection volume, like syringe collection, but without multiple needle sticks that carry increased risk of contamination.  CBR has validated the device as increasing collection volumes up to 30%.
• CBR collection kit is sterile for use in the OR during C-section.
• CBR collection bag holds the anti-coagulant heparin.
  
• CBR has also redesigned their shipping package to hold both the cord blood collection and the cord tissue collection (see below).
• No rush fees, but $150 discount for enrollment at least 60 days prior to due date.  
  
• Courier transport with Quick International provided for an additional flat fee of $150.
• CBR lab (1.1MB photo) separates MonoNuclear Cells with the AutoXpress Process (AXP)  developed by Thermogenesis.   This method is an automated, fully closed and sterile system that yields final MNC recovery of 99.3%. 
  
• The AXP stem cell processing platform has 510(k) device clearance from the FDA.
  
• 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.
• Final storage is in custom-made vapour nitrogen tanks (1.1MB photo) in a secure location.
  
• Payment plans available, starting at $61/month for 48 months. Discounts for prepaid storage.
• Client Referral Program awards a year of free storage.  CBR also has a Gift Registry.
• Discounts $750 to many medical professional clients.  Check with CBR to determine specific eligibility.
• Collecting physicians are offered liability insurance of $5 million per occurrence and $10 million aggregate.
• Quality Service Guarantee: If you need to use your child's stem cells and they fail to engraft, you will receive a refund of all fees paid and an additional $50,000.
  
• Charity program: Designated Transplant Program [TM], in operation since 1995, offers free banking if a first or second degree relative of the baby has a disease treatable by transplantation.
• As of May 2010, CBR claims an inventory of 325,000 cord blood collections.
• As of March 2010, the CBR lab has released 140 cord blood units for medical treatments.

CORD TISSUE BANKING SERVICES:

• As of 1 march 2010 CBR is the first bank in the US to offer optional storage of a segment of the umbilical cord, for an additional cost.
• The tissue of the umbilical cord, which doctors call "Wharton's Jelly" is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), a cell type which is common in bone marrow but hard to obtain from cord blood.
• The correct procedure to identify MSC is controversial among scientists.  CBR uses a set of cell assays to characterize the population which they believe are MSC and to validate that they can recover 90% of them after freezing.
• Published medical research has shown that between 21 and 500 million MSC can be harvested from a single umbilical cord.
  
• Optimal methods of processing and storing MSC are also an area of research.  CBR has chosen to simply freeze a section of the cord a few inches long.  
• Clinical trials with MSC are exploring their use to suppress GvHD, treat heart attacks, and treat mutliple sclerosis.
  
• Storage of cord tissue is already common among cord blood banks in the EU and Asia.  Cryo-Save, the largest family bank in Europe, uses the same storage method as CBR.
  
• The storage of cord tissue costs an additional $595, with a separate annual storage fee of $125.
• Currently (April 2010) CBR is offering $500 off total first-year fees for combined cord blood & cord tissue banking.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Cord Blood Registry (CBR) holds the first privately banked cord blood collection.  Founder David Harris, PhD, stored the cord blood from his son Alexandre in 1992.  The business founder of CBR is CEO Tom Moore.  Since the mid-2000's, CBR is the only one of the large private banks which continues to be privately owned.  More details about the corporate history are available on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.cordbloodsolutions.com
PHONE: 1-866-584-STEM (7836)
OFFICE: Alpharetta, GA
STORAGE: Community Blood Services, Allendale, NJ
ACCREDITATION: AABB

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• The cord blood laboratory at Community Blood Services handles all private cord blood units the same way, but each bank which stores at their lab has a separate freezer.
• The transplant quota is from the public bank at Community Blood Services.
• The Community Blood Services processing method (as of 1 Sept 2007) is the 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.  Because the anti-coagulant is already in the bag, the bag carries BLA licensure from the FDA.
• On weekends, shipping costs an additional $90. First year of storage is included in the processing fee.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Founded by Dr. Alan Einstein, an Internal Medicine/Critical Care physician in Atlanta.


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INTERNET: www.cordtrack.com
PHONE: 1-888-580-TRAK(8725)
OFFICE: Naples, FL
STORAGE: Community Blood Services, Allendale, NJ
ACCREDITATION: AABB, NJ, NY

COMMENT:
CordTrack is a marketing company launched in 2009 which uses a well-established lab for processing.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• The transplant quota is from the public bank at Community Blood Services.
• Community Blood Services handles all private cord blood units the same way, but each bank which stores at their lab has a separate freezer.
• The Community Blood Services processing method (as of 1 Sept 2007) is the 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.  Because the anti-coagulant is already in the bag, the bag carries BLA licensure from the FDA.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

CordTrack was launched in 2009 by Bennett Liss, a Founder at First OB Partners in Los Angeles.  According to his biography on LinkedIn, Bennett Liss started his career at age 13 by selling donuts at the Rose Bowl.  He went on to invent an emergency communication system for PACE LLC which was sold to Blackboard Inc. for $183 million.  He specializes in business consulting.

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OUT OF BUSINESS (see news of June 8, 2010)

More information will be posted as if becomes available.

INTERNET: www.cryo-intl.com  
PHONE: 800-869-8608 or 407-834-8333
OFFICE + STORAGE: Altamonte Springs, FL; near Orlando
ACCREDITATION: AABB, NJ, NY

COMMENT: Cryobanks International offers both public and private cord blood banking.  Cryobanks public bank has pioneered the national donation collection model, accepting donations mailed in from anywhere in the US.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Cryobanks is a participating member of the NMDP network of public cord blood banks as of 15 Dec. 2005.
• Cryobanks allows private customers to elect at any time to transfer their cord blood to the public banking program.  However, the NMDP will not allow transfered units to be used for transplants. 
• Shipping by FedEx for $50.  If a courier is required, for extra cost, Cryobanks prefers World Courier.
• First year's storage is included in the processing fee.
  
• Payment plans available.
• Discount 10% for medical professionals and active duty military personnel.
• Discounts for returning customers and for prepaid storage.
  
• Charity program: Free storage to families that have an imminent need for transplant.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Cryobanks started as a family cord blood bank, but have become nationally famous as a public bank which accepts mail-in donations.  Cryobanks has actively lobbied in some states for legislation that would encourage parents to donate, and to have those parents informed of the option of donating to them.  Cryobanks became a participating member of the NMDP network of public cord blood banks as on 15 Dec. 2005. 

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INTERNET: www.cryo-cell.com or www.celle.com
PHONE: 800-STOR-CELL (800-786-7235)
OFFICE: Oldsmar FL, near Tampa
STORAGE: Oldsmar FL, near Tampa
ACCREDITATION: AABB, IL, MD, NJ, NY

COMMENT:
Cryo-Cell is one of the oldest private cord blood banks and has been a publicly traded company since 1991: Nasdaq OTCBB symbol CCEL.  Cryo-Cell has numerous partnerships with researchers worldwide to develop new therapeutic applications.

CORD BLOOD BANKING SERVICES:

• List of Cryo-Cell transplants
• Client testimonials
  
• Customer support staffed by a certified childbirth educator 24/7.
• Cryo-Cell collection kit is sterile for use in OR during C-section.
• There is no up-front enrollment fee.  Shipping costs are included in the processing fee (US and Puerto Rico only).
• Since April 2005, Cryo-Cell processes cord blood by Hespan sedimentation, and long term storage is in compartmented bags. All storage is in their Oldsmar lab, which is compliant with FDA cGMP/cGTP standards.
• In addition to AABB accreditation, the CryoCell lab is also certified by ISO 9001:2000.
• Final storage is in a dual compartment bag.  The freezers use the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen.
  
• The first year of storage is included in the processing fee.
• Discount available for 21 years of storage pre-paid.
  
• Payment plans are available, starting as low as $57/month for 48 months.
  
• Cryo-Cell Client for Life(TM) Program - New and returning clients can lock in current prices for any future children.
• Cryo-Cell Cares(TM) Payment - In conjunction with a transplant of Cryo-Cell-banked cells, the Company will pay clients $10,000 to cover costs associated with the transplant. 
• Cryo-Cell Payment Guarantee(TM) - In the event that a client's cord blood, which was processed and stored by Cryo-Cell, is used for transplant and fails to engraft, Cryo-Cell will pay the client $50,000.
• Through an exclusive agreement with U-Promise®, Cryo-Cell will contribute 2% of its clients' cord blood payments towards their U-Promise® fund for college education.
• Cryo-Cell also offers gift certificates and a client referral program.
  
• As of March 2010 Cryo-Cell claims over 200,000 clients worldwide, with 19 global license affiliates.
  

MENSTRUAL BLOOD BANKING SERVICES:

• In 2006, researchers working with Cryo-Cell discovered a method to harvest stem cells from menstrual blood.  Cryo-Cell became the first company in the world to offer this Célle service in 2007.  Célle empowers all menstruating women to easily collect stem cells that match them exactly.
• The stem cells from menstrual blood are stored in vials in liquid nitrogen.
  
• Célle service alone costs $499 for processing and $99 for annual storage, or can be bundled together with cord blood banking in a Protect Baby, Protect Mom™ package for only $1999 processing fee (regular storage fees start the 2nd year).
  
• Research published April 2010 shows that menstrual stem cells can minimize nerve damage after stroke in laboratory rats.  According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death and disability in U.S. adults.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Quarterly Reports of Cryo-Cell can be accessed by searching under their name at the SEC web site Edgar.  The full description of Cryo-Cell's corporate history and research partnerships can be found on the Industry Insider page.
 
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INTERNET: www.domanicell.com
PHONE: 201-883-5308 or 1-888-8DO-MANI
OFFICE: Hackensack, NJ
STORAGE: Progenitor Cell Therapy, Allendale, NJ
ACCREDITATION: NJ, AABB, FACT

COMMENT:
DomaniCell LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Progenitor Cell Therapy LLC.  Their business concept is to market "turn-key" cord blood banking to birthing hospitals. 

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• DomaniCell does not market cord blood banking directly to parents.  To enroll, you or your doctor must use their Hospital Locator to find a DomaniCell Partner Hospital and you must deliver at that hospital.
• DomaniCell partner hospitals are "invested" in the program, which means they receive a cut of the profits.
• As of Feb 2010, there are 3 NJ hospitals working with Domanicell.
  
• Cord blood collections are processed at the laboratory of Progenitor Cell Therapy.  The transplant quota are cord blood units released for transplants through public registries. 
  
• The laboratory processing uses sedimentation with hetastarch to separate MonoNuclear Cells from cord blood.  Bags are used for both the blood collection and the final storage of the processed cells.
  
• Progenitor Cell Therapy has FACT accreditation for cellular therapy products as well as AABB accreditation for cord blood banking.
  
• Progenitor Cell Therapy laboratory follows cGMP (ie: cellular GMP) standards, which are above FDA requirements for cord blood processing.
• Domanicell contract includes courier transport, usually by AirNet.
• DomaniCell pricing varies from hospital to hospital.
• Payment plans are always available.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Progenitor Cell Therapy LLC is described in more detail on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.communitybloodservices.org/cb_ekucbp.php
PHONE: 1-866-SAVCORD
OFFICE: Allendale, NJ
STORAGE: Community Blood Services, Allendale, NJ
ACCREDITATION: AABB, NJ, NY

COMMENT:
Community Blood Services has served northern New Jersey as a regional blood center since 1953.  Since the mid-90's their cord blood lab has served as the processing sub-contractor for over a dozen private cord blood banks.  Starting in 2008, they offer family banking contracts directly to consumers.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• The transplant quota is from the public bank at Community Blood Services.
• Community Blood Services handles all private cord blood units the same way, but each bank which stores at their lab has a separate freezer.
• The Community Blood Services processing method (as of 1 Sept 2007) is the 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. 
  
• The Sepax processing system has BLA licensure from the FDA.  This means that it is classified as a drug, instead of a medical device, because the bag already contains anti-coagulant instead of having to add it later.
• Within New Jersey, courier transport is provided by blood center drivers.
• Discount of 10% if the processing fee is paid at once, else it can be paid in three installments without interest.
• Other discounts available if the parent's employer is a Premier Partner.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The cord blood program at Community Blood Services was originally endowed by the sponsor Elie Katz, and hence the program still bears his name.  Community Blood Services provides public banking services for the entire state of New Jersey plus collection locations in New York and Delaware.  They participate in the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) cord blood network and are funded by HRSA to collect donations for the national cord blood inventory.  The full history of cord blood banking at Community Blood Services is given on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.familycord.com
PHONE: 800-490-CORD (2673)
OFFICE: Los Angeles, CA
STORAGE: Los Angeles, CA
ACCREDITATION: AABB, CA, NY

COMMENT: Family Cord Blood Services is a subsidiary of  California Cryobank,  one of the nation's leading sperm banks and a provider of various cryogenic services for 30 years. 

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• FamilyCord was founded in 1997 and operates from its own dedicated laboratory and storage facility.
• The stem cell laboratory of FamilyCord has provided several transplants of stem cells harvested from the donor's blood by apheresis, and two cord blood transplants.
• Cord blood collections are manually processed by licensed clinical laboratory technologists.
• The processing method is red cell depletion with the chemical hespan; the two steps are sedimentation and centrifugation.
• The final sample of MonoNuclear Cells has a volume of 25ml and is stored in a dual compartment bag with 20ml and 5ml portions.  Three testing segments are attached to the storage bag.
  
• Total first year fees are $1795 for processing plus storage.  No late enrollment fees.
• FamilyCord is one of only two family banks which provides a temperature-controlled shipping container.
• For domestic collections, the processing fee includes medical courier service with AirNet. 
  
• For international collections, $150 is deducted from the processing fee, but the client is responsible for the cost of courier service with Quick International.
  
• Returning clients get a $500 discount.
• Parents who are pregnant via donor sperm from California Cryobank are eligible for CCB Cord Blood Advantage Program, which offers cord blood banking and 3 years of storage for an additional fee of only $795 (over $1000 discount!)
• Special discounts for military personnel, students, and multiple births: call to inquire.
  
• Discounts available for pre-paid storage times.
• Various payment plans are available.
  
• Physician fees for cord blood collection are not reimbursed.
  
• Public Donation Option  (started Aug2005).  In order to be eligible, the parents must choose this program at the time of enrollment, pass all the test required for public donation, pay for HLA typing of the blood, and agree to privately store the cord blood for 10 years before releasing it to the public.  Please see the Public Donation FAQ provided by Family Cord Blood Services.  
• As of August 2009, FamilyCord claims an inventory of 15,000 cord blood collections.
• As of August 2009, the FamilyCord stem cell laboratory has processed 80 transplants of stem cells harvested from peripheral blood, and 4 transplants of cord blood.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The parent company of Family Cord Blood Services, California Cryobank Sperm Bank, was founded in 1977, and the separate stem cell laboratory was the first cord blood bank in California when it opened in 1997.  The full history of this company is given on the Industry Insider page.
 
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INTERNET: www.nortonhealthcare.com/services/pregnancy_birth/your_pregnancy/cordblood/
PHONE: 800-852-1770, or 502-629-1234
OFFICE: Louisville, Kentucky
STORAGE: Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky
ACCREDITATION: AABB

COMMENT: Family Link is a regional bank only: cord blood is only accepted from within a 4 hour driving radius of the laboratory.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Family Link is a program of Norton Healthcare, a not-for-profit organization which operates dozens of hospitals throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
• Family Link Cord Blood Storage Program is located in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Laboratory of Norton® Healthcare, which serves the pediatric transplant program at Kosair Children's Hospital
• Transport services are included in the price.  The regional courier service is Beeline Courier.
• The lab is moving towards separation of mononuclear cells (MNC) but currently stores whole blood.
• Discounts for repeat customers ($350 off processing) or employees of Norton Healthcare (20% off both processing and annual storage).
  

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INTERNET: www.thegenesisbank.com
PHONE: 800-804-6703
OFFICE: General BioTechnology, Indianapolis, IN
STORAGE: General BioTechnology, Indianapolis, IN
ACCREDITATION:  AABB, MD, NJ, NY

COMMENT: Genesis Bank is a subsidiary of the biotech company General BioTechnology LLC, an Indianapolis company founded in 1997 which specializes in cryogenic research and services. 
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• A subsidiary of parent company General BioTechnology, Genesis Bank was founded in July 2004 and began processing cord blood in their laboratory in early 2005.
• Live customer and technical support available 24/7 for parents and physicians.  Staff who answer the phone have a scientific background and can answer technical questions.
• Laboratory technicians process cord blood by sedimentation with hetastarch to separate MonoNuclear Cells (including stem cells) from cord blood. 
  
• Sterile Pall Medical Bags are used for both the blood collection and the final storage of the processed cells.  This means the kit can be used for a C-section.
• Genesis Bank runs CD34+ counts for all private clients and stores 3 attached integral segments plus a separate 2 mL cryogenic vial in case of future HLA typing.
• Current (Sept 2009) fees are $175 enrollment, $975 collection and processing, and $100 annual storage, for a total first year fee of $1,250. Cost does include transportation of the blood.
• Same Day Medical Courier is available for an additional fee of $200.
• Discounts for pre-paid long-term storage.  Payment plans are available.
• Genesis Bank receives cord blood from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America and Europe.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

General BioTechnology LLC, parent company of The Genesis Bank, was founded by researchers and has the ability to contract their cryopreservation expertise for the storage of virtually any cell or tissue type.  More information about their subsidiaries and capabilities is
given on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.hemastem.com
PHONE: 800-203-7349; or Email info@hemastem.com  
OFFICE: Main office located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
STORAGE: Alternate labs for Canada & USA:
                   USA lab is Community Blood Services, Allendale, NJ;
                   Canada lab is  Stem Sciences Inc. in North York, Ontario.
ACCREDITATION:  USA lab: AABB; Canada lab: none

COMMENT: HemaStem, aka HemaLife, are privately owned.
HemaStem is owned by Geneticas Life Sciences, Inc., a company specializing in biological insurance: they have divisions which bank the genes of endangered species, clone domestic animals, have a registry of human gene donors for the creation of designer babies, and bank the stem cells in cord blood. Website is in English and Spanish.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• HemaStem provides their patented StemGuard [TM] collection kit.
  
• The USA cord blood laboratory at Community Blood Services handles all private cord blood units the same way, but each bank which stores at their lab has a separate freezer.
• The transplant quota is from the public bank at Community Blood Services.
• The Community Blood Services processing method (as of 1 Sept 2007) is the 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. 
  
• The Sepax processing system has BLA licensure from the FDA.
• Enrollment fee only charged once per family. Price includes shipping by courier service.
• First year storage included in processing fees.
  
• Discount for prepaid storage. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

HemaStem Therapeutics was founded in 2004 as a subsidiary of Geneticas Life Sciences, which provided a patented StemGuard [TM] collection kit.   Genetics Life Sciences specialized in biological insurance: they had divisions which bank ed the genes of endangered species, cloned domestic animals, had a registry of human gene donors for the creation of designer babies, and banked the stem cells in cord blood.
 
Geneticas Life Sciences originally entered the cord blood market in 2003 with the autologous bank GeneAngel, which had a unique pricing concept: No processing fee, but a storage fee of $49.95 was charged every month indefinitely. In exchange for the on-going storage fee, GeneAngel offered parents health insurance: $100,000 if their child developed a disease treatable by cord blood transplant. Perhaps not surprisingly, they could not find customers willing to pay $10,789.20 over 18 years against the odds of one child developing a transplantable disease. Hence, they reorganized and in 2004 launched HemaStem/Hemalife.

Genetics Life Sciences also had a subsidiary  Allerca, devoted to the creation of hypoallergenic cats.  In late 2004 a vicious lawsuit erupted between Transgenic Pets LLC versus Allerca and Geneticas.  Apparently the parent company Geneticas has since been disbanded.
 
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INTERNET: www.lifebankusa.com  
PHONE: 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA or 1-877-543-3226
OFFICE: Cedar Knolls, NJ
STORAGE: Cedar Knolls, NJ
ACCREDITATION: AABB, CA, MD, NJ, NY

COMMENT:
LifebankUSA is the only company that offers the option to increase the number of stem cells banked by collecting blood from the placenta in addition to the umbilical cord.
 
CORD BLOOD BANKING SERVICES:

• List of LifebankUSA transplants
• Press release on first transplant of cord+placenta 3/28/2008.
  
• Testimonials from LifebankUSA doctors and clients
  
• Live customer support available 24/7; parents or physician can phone during delivery. 
• LifebankUSA collection bag contains the FDA-recommended anti-coagulant CPD.
• The LifebankUSA collection kit provides a ChloraPrep® One-Step Frepp® Applicator to clean the umbilical cord prior to collecting the cord blood and a sterile container to hold the entire placenta.
• Cost includes domestic courier transport via Quick International.
• The LifebankUSA laboratory procedure is to manually separate white and stem cells by sedimentation with the chemical hetastarch.
• LifebankUSA has validated their cord blood laboratory processing yields Mono-Nuclear Cell separation comparable to the automated AXP and Sepax systems, but much better than those systems in the removal of red blood cells, which are less than 1% of the final product.
• LifebankUSA runs CD34+ counts for all clients and stores cards with blood blots in case of a future need for HLA typing.
• Final storage of the stem cells is in Pall blood bags with two, 80%/20%, compartments.
• The long-term storage is in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen freezer tanks.
  
• Discount for returning clients of  $300 off enrollment.  
• Client referral program awards a year of free storage to the existing client for every referral who enrolls. 
  
• Payment plans start at $44/month.  A twelve month interest free payment plan is also available. 
  
• LifebankUSA also has a Gift Registry.
  
• Charity Program: "Families in Need" with a disease treatable by a stem cell transplant may be entitled to free enrollment.

 
PLACENTA BANKING SERVICES:

• Starting April 24, 2006, LifebankUSA became the first cord blood bank in the world to offer private banking of placenta blood stem cells, for an additional cost. 
• Placental blood stem cells are processed and stored separately form cord blood.
  
• LifebankUSA internal data shows that clients who bank the placental blood in addition to the cord blood have 39% more CD34+ cells on average.  Clinical studies have shown that a higher dose of CD34+ stem cells increase the probability of a successful transplant. 
• In May 2009 a study was published in a medical journal by doctors from the Childrens' Hospital of Oakland which showed that the placenta is rich in blood-forming stem cells and harvesting the placenta can increase the yield of CD34+ cells several fold.  ie: they confirmed what LifebankUSA has claimed for years.
• In addition, placental banking also yields more cells with markers like mesenchymal stem cells.
• When the placenta is delivered, the cord is clamped and the entire placenta is shipped intact to LifebankUSA in a sterile container.
• Placental blood processing is performed by a trained technician who cleans the placenta in a biological safety cabinet and then uses a pump to remove the stem cell rich blood from the placenta in a process called perfusion.
  
• Once the blood has been extracted from the placenta, the stem cells in the placental blood can be separated with the same laboratory procedure as cord blood.
• The final storage of the placental blood is also in a blood bag with two compartments.  Hence, clients who store cord+placental blood have four separate storage compartments.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

LifebankUSA was founded as a family cord blood bank in 1998, and was acquired by Celgene (Nasdaq: CELG) on 13 Nov 2002.  LifebankUSA has offered storage of placental blood since 2006, and is still the only company offering this service to families, a practice that is increasingly justified by new research about the placenta.  Celgene is using placental blood in clinical trials: to transplant both cord and placenta cells, or using placental stem cells to treat Crohn's disease.  More information is available on the Industry Insider page.
 
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INTERNET: www.lifelinecryogenics.com
PHONE: 1-866-967-CRYO
OFFICE: Stamford, CT
STORAGE: Stamford, CT
ACCREDITATION: AABB, CA, NY

COMMENT: LifeLine is a broad spectrum cryogenics company in business since 1991, offering storage of sperm, eggs, ovarian tissue, embryos, and cord blood.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• LifeLine is the only cord blood lab in Connecticut and provides clients with physician support 24/7
  
• Lifeline collection kit contains the Pall sterile cord blood collection bag with 2 needles and disinfection supplies to allow for up to 4 insertions of the cord, resulting in larger volumes of blood collected.
  
• LifeLine uses dedicated medical couriers: Midnight Express and Federal Express Priority Alert.  Their goal is to deliver the blood to the laboratory within 24-36 hours from birth.
  
• The cost of courier service ($150) is included in the basic price.
• LifeLine laboratory processing manually separates MonoNuclear Cell by sedimentation with hetastarch. 
  
• Final storage of stem cells is in Pall blood bags with 80%/20% compartments. 
• LifeLine also stores the child's separated plasma and red blood cells at no additional cost.
  
• First year storage included in processing fees.
  
• Payment plans start at $99 per month.
  
• Discount options if blocks of storage are prepaid.  Twins discount of $200 on 2nd child.
• Gift registry available.
  
• LifeLine hosts an open house on the first Thursday of the month.
• LifeLine offers free cord blood banking to families in need of cord blood transplant with in 6 month of delivery.
  
• LifeLine also carries a "Quality Product Guarantee" of $10,000 payment to client if your cord blood is transplanted and fails to engraft.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The Medical Director of LifeLine is Dr. Gad Lavy; he is Board Certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and is the Medical Director of the New England Fertility Institute.  LifeLine was in the news Feb 2007 for accomplishing the first pregnancy from a frozen egg, in the state of Connecticut.  Another article in the New Haven Register Feb 2010 describes efforts to start a public cord blood bank in the state, and profiles the Kacey Rose Foundation.  LifeLine Cryogenics is also written up on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.LifeSourceCryobank.com
PHONE: 866-400-7333 or 985-867-8902
OFFICE: Covington, LA
STORAGE: Covington, LA
ACCREDITATION: no


COMMENT:
LifeSource Cryobank is a fairly new cord blood bank which has its own laboratory.  The founders of LifeSource Cryobank are actively involved in regenerative medicine research.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• LifeSource Cryobank laboratory was completed in Feb 2007 and meets FDA GMP standards.  These standards are higher than the requirement for simply preserving cord blood; these standards are required when processed stem cells are delivered as part of a therapy, which is the case in regenerative medicine.
• LifeSource Cryobank offers courier transport to these neighboring communities: Greater New Orleans area, Metairie, Baton Rouge, Covington, Mandeville, Hammond and Slidell, La.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The founder of LifeSource Cryobank is cardiologist Gabriel Lasala, M.D., who is also the president of TCA Clinic, a group of cardiologists in Covington, Louisiana.  The Scientific Director of LifeSource Cryobank is Dr. Jose J Minguell, formerly Director of the Dept of Cellular Therapy at the Universidad de Chile in Santiago, and leader of the Bone Marrow Transplant Program Laboratory at Clinica Las Condes in Santiago, Chile.  Dr. Minguell has published a number of articles in the medical literature about the presence of mesenchymal stem cells in bone marrow and their potential for cardiomyoplasty.

LifeSource is directly linked to TCA Cellular Therapy, a research and development company interested in regenerative medicine therapies in which stem cells promote cardiovascular repair.  They are presently participating in Phase I clinical trials in which an adult heart attack patient receives stem cells from his or her own bone marrow during bypass surgery or angioplasty.  In addition to offering cord blood storage, LifeSource Cryobank offers adults the opportunity to bank their stem cells.  For banking, the adult stem cells are filtered from the patient's peripheral blood in a process known as apheresis.

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INTERNET: www.MAZEcordblood.com
PHONE: 914-683-0000
OFFICE: Westchester, NY
LAB: NY Blood Center
STORAGE: MAZE Labs, Purchase, NY.
ACCREDITATION: AABB, NJ, NY

COMMENT: MAZE Labs began as a fertility center named after the initials of the founding doctor's four sons: Mathew, Adam, Zachary and Evan.  They offer cord blood banking with the long-term storage fees folded into the initial price.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Cost is a one time, all-inclusive, fee of $2010, which includes the collection kit, processing, and free storage for 20 years.
• Medical courier service with secure chain of custody, using Quick International, insures delivery to the processing lab within 36hours.  About 60% of MAZE Cord Blood Labs  collections come from outside their local region.
• MAZE processes cord blood at the lab of the NY Blood Center (not the same lab that operates the  National Cord Blood Program for the public). 
• Processed cord blood is transferred frozen to MAZE Labs.  Cord blood that is already frozen can travel around the world without any loss of viability.
• Final storage is at MAZE Labs cryogenic facility in Purchase; it has been FDA approved for over 12 years. 
• Discounts are available for returning clients, referral clients, military personnel, and group discounts from prenatal classes.
• MAZE has a gift registry.
  
• MAZE offers high-touch customer service, including personal handling of paperwork, birthday acknowledgments, and a monthly electronic newsletter that covers industry news and information of interest to new parents.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
MAZE Cord Blood Laboratories is also written up on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.neocells.com
PHONE: 888-502-3557
OFFICE:  Palm Harbor, FL
STORAGE: Community Blood Services, Allendale, NJ, plus second lab which is unknown
ACCREDITATION: CBS has AABB, NJ, NY

COMMENT:
NeoCells advertises that they are the "most affordable" family cord blood bank.   

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Neocells is a marketing company which works with laboratory partner(s) to process cord blood.
  
• Community Blood Services in NJ has a fully accredited cord blood laboratory.
  
• Parents are responsible to arrange and pay for return shipping of the collection.
  
• Payment plans are available, discounts for pre-paid storage available.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

NeoCells LLC, which banks cord blood storage, and AdultCells LLC, which banks adult stem cells, are both subsidiaries of ViviCells International, LLC, which claims to be "the nation's first comprehensive family stem cell bank".  When first launched, the laboratory partner of Vivicells was the  Reproductive Genetics Institute (RGI), founded by Yury Verlinski, PhD.  

Feeder website: www.CordBloodInformation.com

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INTERNET: www.newbornblood.com  
PHONE: 888-948-CORD
OFFICE: Tampa, FL
STORAGE: Tampa, FL
ACCREDITATION: none

COMMENT: Emphasis on storage of whole blood, with no red cell or plasma depletion. 
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Newborn was founded by parents working out of their home in the Tampa Bay area.  It is now operated in a building adjacent to the home and employs a laboratory manager.
• Profiled 26 April 2004 in the St. Petersburg Times
• Discount $100 for early enrollment.
• First year cost of only $1095.
• Final storage in blood bags in liquid nitrogen dewar.
• Discount for pre-paid storage.
  

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INTERNET: www.cordbloodbank.com  
PHONE: 888-700-CORD (2673)
OFFICE: Boston, MA
STORAGE: New England Cryogenic Center, Boston, MA
ACCREDITATION: AABB, NY

COMMENT: New England Cord Blood Bank is one of the original private cord blood banks, founded in 1995. New England Cryogenic Center, the largest cryogenic facility in North America, is the parent company of New England Cord Blood Bank.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS

• Customer support available 24/7. No late/rush enrollment fees. 
• Since July 2009, NECBB processing method uses the AutoXpress Process (AXP)  developed by Thermogenesis.   The AXP is an automated, fully closed, and sterile system that consistently retrieves 97% of the MonoNucleated Cells (MNC) from cord blood (see the page on lab processing).
• NECBB still offers manual processing of smaller collections by Ficoll-Hypaque density centrifugation.
• Final cryogenic storage is in AXP multi-compartment bags.
• Cost includes Fedex transport; courier shipping costs extra. 
• NECBB will reimburse up to $125 of the physician's collection fee directly to the provider.
• NECBB currently (Feb 2010) offers a "grant" of $500 twoards processing for new clients.
  
• Payment plans available for up to 36 months with no interest.
• Previous NECBB customers save on subsequent births, or can use the best available discount.
• Discounts for multiple births, and families that are active duty military.
• Discount for prepaid storage (pay for 20 years and save $580 as of Feb 2010).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

In the first half of the 2000 decade, NECBB pioneered international marketing of cord blood.  They established numerous marketing partnerships throughout Europe and Latin America with local affiliates who shipped cord blood to the NECBB lab in Boston for processing.  At one time they were the dominant bank offering private cord blood banking in South America.  By the mid-2000's these markets became more competitive, as local entrepreneurs set up laboratories in each country to process cord blood in their homeland.

As of Jan 2009, NECBB owns two overseas cord blood laboratories in London, UK, and Mexico City, Mexico. 
Global affiliates are located:

• Europe: Turkey, Cyprus, Italy
• Mid-East: Jordan
• Latin America: Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Peru, Guatemala, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela

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INTERNET: www.PacifiCord.com
PHONE: 1-888-374-2670
OFFICE: Irvine, CA
STORAGE: Irvine, CA
ACCREDITATION: California Biologics (comparable to AABB)

COMMENT:
PacifiCord is a subsidiary of HealthBanks Biotech Company, the first Asian cord blood banking company to enter the US market.  HealthBanks Biotech operates 4 cord blood banks and 3 research & development facilities worldwide.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• PacifiCord initially is targeting parents within 150 miles of their Irvine laboratory: they offer free pre-natal classes, facility tours, and the ability to process cord blood within 24 hours or less from birth.
  
• PacifiCord recommends collection of cord blood before delivery of the placenta, using gravity drip into a bag.
• Courier service is included in the contract.
  
• PacifiCord employs dedicated drivers within their primary market in Southern California; beyond SoCal they use a specialty medical courier.
• PacifiCord separates MonoNuclear Cells with the AutoXpress Process (AXP) developed by  Thermogenesis.  This method is an automated, fully closed, and sterile system.
  
• PacifiCord stores cells in liquid nitrogen in the automated BioArchive freezer developed by Thermogenesis.
• Final storage is in Thermogenesis blow-molded bags with two 25 ml compartments with three attached testing segments.
  
• For final storage, the blood bag is first wrapped in a sealed teflon sheath to keep each client's cells quarantined.
  
• First year's storage included in processing fee.
  
• Discounts for prepaid storage, twins, repeat customers, client referrals, and military families.
• Interest-free payment plans available.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
PacifiCord is the first cord blood bank founded in the USA by a company from overseas: the parent company HealthBanks Biotech operates one of the largest family cord blood banks in Taiwan.  The founding CEO of PacifiCord, Dan Segal, spent much of his career at Thermogenesis.  The current (Dec 2009) CEO, Bob Kurilko, has nearly a quarter century of experience in sales, marketing, and operations.


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INTERNET: www.rmilabs.com
PHONE: 877-844-7379
OFFICE: SIRM offices in Las Vegas, Nevada
STORAGE: Community Blood Services laboratory in Allendale, NJ
ACCREDITATION: AABB

COMMENT:
RMI offers cord blood banking primarily to clients of the Sher Institutes of Reproductive Medicine (SIRM), and to the general public on an individual basis.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• SIRM is a network of fertility clinics which currently (Jan 2008) includes physicians based in the states CA, PA, IL, MO, NJ, NV, NY, and TX.
• The cord blood laboratory at Community Blood Services handles all private cord blood units the same way, but each bank which stores at their lab has a separate freezer.
• The transplant quota is from the public bank at Community Blood Services.
• The Community Blood Services processing method (as of 1 Sept 2007) is the 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.  Because the anti-coagulant is already in the bag, the bag carries BLA licensure from the FDA.
• RMI does not list a standard price for their services.
• RMI includes the first year of storage in the processing fee.
• Payment plans available.

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INTERNET: www.safetycord.com
PHONE: +1 305 432 2673
OFFICE: San Juan, Puerto Rico
STORAGE: Community Blood Services, Allendale, NJ
ACCREDITATION: AABB

COMMENT:
Website in Spanish only.  Safetycord operates primarily in Puerto Rico, which is a United States protectorate, hence they are listed as a USA bank.  They also provide services to all Spanish speaking countries, as well as Spanish speaking families worldwide (including the United States).

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Safetycord is a marketing company which serves Spanish-speaking people, and they operate in partnership with the cord blood laboratory of Community Blood Services in NJ. 
  
• Safetycord provides shipping as part of their contract, with courier pick up of the blood from the hospital.
  
• Community Blood Services handles all private cord blood units the same way, but each bank which stores at their lab has a separate freezer.
• The cord blood laboratory at Community Blood Services handles all private cord blood units the same way, but each bank which stores at their lab has a separate freezer.
• The transplant quota is from the public bank at Community Blood Services.
• The Community Blood Services processing method (as of 1 Sept 2007) is the 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.  Because the anti-coagulant is already in the bag, the bag carries BLA licensure from the FDA.
• Safetycord processing includes high resolution HLA typing and CD34 counts of all collections: these are tests which are required prior to transplant, and which most family banks defer to a future date.
• Safetycord clients have a secure web page through which they can submit the family medical history and track the status of their cord blood.
• Safetycord processing fee includes the first year of storage.
• Discount available for 20 years storage pre-paid.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Safetycord is also written up on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.securacell.com
PHONE: 866-836-CELL
OFFICE: Canton, OH
STORAGE: General BioTechnology, Indianapolis, IN
ACCREDITATION:  AABB, MD, NJ, NY

COMMENT: Securacell is an independent company, not an affiliate of another bank.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Securacell staff includes nurses to counsel patients.
• Overnight shipping is included in price.
• Enrollment fee only charged once per family.  No late enrollment fees.
• First year storage included in processing fees.
  
• Payment plans available.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Securacell is a marketing company which sub-contracts to a laboratory for cord blood processing and storage.  Over the years, their contract laboratory has changed several times.  Prior to summer 2004, Securacell used the laboratory of New England Cryogenic Center, in Boston, MA.  In the summer of 2004, Securacell formed a partnership with BioStorage Technologies of Indianapolis, IN.  However, they subsequently switched to the laboratory of General BioTechnology (aka The Genesis Bank), in Indianapolis, IN.  As of 2008, Securacell was using the laboratory of Community Blood Services in Allendale, NJ.  However, as of 2010 they are again using the laboratory of General BioTechnology, in Indianapolis, IN.

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INTERNET: www.southerncord.com
PHONE: 256-564-7088
OFFICE: Huntsville, AL
STORAGE: General BioTechnology, Indianapolis, IN
ACCREDITATION:  AABB, MD, NJ, NY

COMMENT:
Southern Cord launched services in Jan 2010.  They focus on clients in the southeast USA, their staff endeavors to answer all questions and make clients comfortable, and they are available 24/7.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Southern Cord collection kit provides bags for gravity collection of the umbilical cord blood.  The maternal blood sample goes into a standard blood vial.
• Southern Cord contract includes FedEx priority overnight shipping.
• Southern Cord will help parents to hire a medical courier if they so desire.
  
• Once the cord blood arrives at the laboratory, technicians add the chemical hetastarch to separate cells by sedimentation.
  
• The laboratory runs CD34+ counts for all private clients.
• Final storage is in a single blood bag with 3 attached integral segments plus a separate 2 mL cryogenic vial in case of future HLA typing.
  
• Storage bags go into cyrogenic tanks where they are kept in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen.
  
• Southern Cord fees are $150 for enrollment and collection kit (non-refundable), $1100 shipping, processing and storage for remainder of the calendar year, and $100 annual storage due on Jan 1.  
  
• Check the Southern Cord website for promotions and discounts.
  

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INTERNET: www.StemCyteFamily.com  
PHONE: 866-389-4659
OFFICE: StemCyte, Covina, CA
STORAGE: StemCyte, Covina, CA
ACCREDITATION: AABB, FACT/Netcord,  CA, MD, NJ, NY

COMMENT: StemCyte is a global for-profit company which started as a public cord blood bank which participates in the NMDP cord blood registry.  StemCyte has one of the world's largest collections of Asian and Latino cord blood collections and has been funded by the US government to expand the National Cord Blood Inventory.  The StemCyte family division offers private cord blood banking at the same laboratory.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• List of transplants; four were privately banked (2 USA, 2 Taiwan) and the rest are from the StemCyte public bank.  
  
• StemCyte family services share the laboratory of the StemCyte public bank.  The family collections are processed by the same protocol but stored in separate dedicated freezers with their own security identification system.
  
• StemCyte is the only family cord blood bank which uses a lab with FACT/Netcord accreditation.
  
• StemCyte is one of only two family banks that provide a temperature-controlled shipping container.
• Price includes shipping by Quick International medical courier.
• StemCyte has a unique processing method which stores plasma-depleted whole blood, rather than separating MonoNuclear Cells by red cell depletion.  StemCyte has published in the journal BBMT Nov. 2007 that they have a 99.9% recovery of Total Nucleated Cells (TNC).
• StemCyte offers family customers a financial guarantee: If you need to use your child's stem cells and they fail to engraft, you will receive a refund of all fees paid and an additional $50,000.
• StemCyte offers family customers a LifeSaver® Quality Guarantee: If your child's cord blood stem cells are used in transplantation and fail to engraft, StemCyte will refund all service fees paid by the client, and pay the client an additional $50,000 in addition to a replacement sample from the donor bank if one is available.  StemCyte can offer this replacement option because unlike most companies offering family banking they are primarily a public bank.
  
• Discounts: currently (Feb 2009) offering $400 off: $250 with coupon plus $150 if you pay upon enrollment.
• Discount to medical professionals $800 off.
• Discount to active, reserve, and veteran military personnel, or fire and police related professionals, are all $550 off.
  
• Further discounts may be available: Call for special promotions.
  
• First year storage included in processing fees, discount available on pre-paid storage.
• Refer a friend, and get one year free storage or $100.
• StemCyte is part of the federal Related Donor Cord Blood Program: Call to apply for assistance if a family member has a case of medical need.
• Stemcyte holds a drawing every 3 months which awards a family free cord blood banking: www.FreeCordBloodBanking.com

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

StemCyte is the world's largest public cord blood bank which has a for-profit business model.  They were founded in 1997, participate in the USA national cord blood network operated by NMDP, and operate the national public cord blood bank of Taiwan.  StemCyte began offering family cord blood banking in 2004.  StemCyte participates in numerous clinical trials; see the Industry Insider page for more details.

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INTERNET: www.stork.md
PHONE: 866-65-STORK
OFFICE: Columbus, GA
STORAGE: Community Blood Services laboratory in Allendale, NJ
ACCREDITATION: AABB

COMMENT:
Stork medical emphasizes that they have spectacular customer service, price guarantees, and a commitment to charitable works.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• After you have chosen to contract with Stork, you will be contacted by a Stork doctor to make certain all of your questions have been answered.  You will also be assigned a client support specialist who remains available to assist the family throughout the process.
• Stork’s doctors and nurses are always available to answer your questions.
• Stork does not hire sales people, no one will pester you; they only hire customer support staff.
  
• Stork provides courier service which specializes in tissue transport and in most cases will pick-up the blood from your hospital room.
• The cord blood laboratory at Community Blood Services handles all private cord blood units the same way, but each bank which stores at their lab has a separate freezer.
• The transplant quota  is from the public bank at Community Blood Services.
• The Community Blood Services processing method is the 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.  Because the anti-coagulant is already in the bag, the bag carries BLA licensure from the FDA.
• Stork’s Total Price Guarantee firmly promises that your total cost for cord blood services, including the entire doctor’s fee, is $1700 until the baby’s first birthday.
• Annual storage fee fixed at $108 for at least ten years.
• Payment plans available, discounts for prepaid storage.
  
• Gift Registry available.
• Should your baby's cord blood ever be needed, retrieval is free.
• Stork Medical offers a unique program of Military Cord Blood Banking: all current and former military personnel qualify for dramatic discounts, with deeper discounts for veterans who were wounded and disabled.
  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Stork Medical was founded by Jonathan Liss, M.D.  The charitable program of Military Cord Blood Banking is partially supported by donations to a Hero's Fund, and has twice been honored by Congress.

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INTERNET:  www.utahcordbank.com
PHONE: 877-UCB-STEM  (1-877-822-7836)
OFFICE: Sandy, Utah
STORAGE: Sandy, Utah
ACCREDITATION: no

COMMENT:
The Utah Cord Bank is focused on serving local clients, stressing that their laboratory is in Utah and that courier service is provided to insure rapid delivery and processing of the cord blood.
 
SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Collection procedure is gravity drip into a blood bag.
• Collection fee includes courier service within the state of Utah.
• Cord blood is manually processed by technicians.
• Utah Cord Bank laboratory procedures emphasize the complete separation of MNC, even separating neutrophils (small white cells) and platelets (small cells used in clotting).
• Utah Cord Bank stores MonoNuclear Cells (MNC) in multiple vials in liquid nitrogen.  The vials from a single donor are held together by a sealed sheath.
• Discount coupons available at most Utah hospitals for participants in prenatal or childbirth classes.
• Storage fee of $85 is guaranteed for 10 years (as of March 2008).
• Utah Cord Bank advertises (March 2008) that they will match or beat competitor prices within Utah.
  

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INTERNET: www.viacord.com  
PHONE: 866-668-4895
OFFICE: Cambridge, MA
STORAGE: Hebron, KY, outside Cincinnati, OH.
ACCREDITATION: AABB, CA, MD, IL, KY, NJ, NY

COMMENT: Viacord is one of the original private cord blood banks and is now a subsidiary of PerkinElmer, a global healthcare company which also provides prenatal testing and newborn screening. 

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• List of Viacord transplants
  
• ViaCord has the highest transplant survival rate among those banks which have disclosed complete transplant data.
• ViaCord participates in research on cardiac repair and regeneration, cancer, stem cell amplification and Type 1 Diabetes.
• Live customer support available 24/7; parents or physician can phone during delivery.
• ViaCord collection kit is sterile for use in OR during C-section.
• Viacord has an FDA-approved sterile collection bag Cell Sentinel(TM) which is suitable for surgical deliveries. This was developed in collaboration with medical equipment manufacturer Pall Corporation (NYSE: PLL).
• ViaCord collection bag holds the anti-coagulant CPD.
• The ViaCord collection kit provides a ChloraPrep® One-Step Frepp® Applicator to clean the umbilical cord prior to collecting the cord blood.
• Courier transport with Quick International is available for a flat fee of $150 extra.
• The Viacord processing method is the 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. 
  
• The Sepax processing system has BLA licensure from the FDA.  This means that it is classified as a drug, instead of a medical device, because the bag already contains anti-coagulant instead of having to add it later.
  
• More than 200,000 cord blood units have been processed worldwide with the Sepax system, mostly at public banks.  In their validation of the Sepax system, Viacord achieved 88% recovery of CD34+ marked stem cells.
  
•  If the final stem cell count is low (for transplant use), parents are informed and may chose to not store it and receive a full refund.
• ViaCord final storage is in vapor nitrogen tanks to eliminate the risk of contamination between samples.
• No enrollment fee. First year storage included in processing fees.
• Payment plans start at $64/month for 48 months. Storage fee fixed at $125. 
  
• Discount for returning clients of $450 off.  Discounts for prepaid storage up to $825.
• Viacord prices will increase April 6th...
  
• Viacord referral program awards a $50 gift card if a friend enrolls.  Viacord also has a Gift Registry.
  
• Charity Program: ViaCord was selected in 2005 to run the Sibling Donor Cord Blood Program at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Inst. (CHORI).  This program was founded by Dr. Bertram Lubin in 1998 to provide free cord blood banking to families in which a sibling needs a transplant.  To enroll call the special number 866-861-8435.
• As of May 2010, ViaCord claims an inventory of over 230,000 cord blood units.
• As of  Feb. 2010, the ViaCord and CHORI partnership has released 183 transplants, including more than 30 treatments for Cerebral Palsy or Type 1 Diabetes.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

ViaCord is one of the original private cord blood banks, commencing banking in 1995.  ViaCord has sales reps in most major population centers throughout the USA.  Since Oct 2007, ViaCord is a subsidiary of PerkinElmer (NYSE: PKI), which provides genetic screening services that compliment cord blood storage services for newborns. ViaCord conducts research and clinical trials via partnerships with biotech companies.  Full details of the corporate history and research partnerships are given on the Industry Insider page.

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INTERNET: www.xytexcordblood.com
PHONE: 877-505-4346 or Email tissues@xytex.com
OFFICES: Augusta & Atlanta, GA
STORAGE: Augusta, GA
ACCREDITATION: ISO 9001

COMMENT:
Xytex Cord Blood Bank is a member of Xytex International Ltd., a family of research and services companies with over 35 years of experience in cryogenic tissue storage.

SERVICES & DISCOUNT OPTIONS:

• Xytex Cord Blood Bank was established in 2008 and operates from its own dedicated laboratory.
• Xytex has clinical education specialists on staff to answer any questions that you or your physician may have.
• Xytex contract covers the base costs of enrollment, shipping, processing, testing, and physician compliance. 
  
• Xytex collection method is gravity drip into a blood bag.
  
• Cord blood collections are manually processed by licensed clinical laboratory technologists in a 100% sterile environment.  Xytex laboratory has been certified by ISO 9001:2008.
  
• The processing method is red cell depletion with the chemical hespan; the two steps are sedimentation and centrifugation.
• The final sample of stem cells is tested for CD34+ counts. 
• Final storage is in blood bags in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen. 
• As of March 2010, total first year cost is $1525 (including first year storage with discount code PGTCB); many discounts are available.
• Discount 15% for 18 years of storage, including an 18 year price guarantee.
  
• Free services for OB professionals: Physicians, Nurses, Midwives, and OBPA's.
  
• Discounts available to Xytex clients, military, educators, and many others.  Ask for the latest promotions.
  
• Xytex has the lowest payment plan in the cord blood industry, starting at $30/month through Medicalfinancing.com

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Xytex Cord Blood Bank is a subsidiary of Xytex Cryo International Ltd.  The founder of Xytex was Armand M. Karow Ph.D., an internationally recognized cryobiologist and expert on reproductive tissue banking.  Dr. Karow started his research at the Medical College of Georgia in the 1960's, but founded the private company Xytex in 1975.  Today, Xytex has a research division in the business development center of the Medical College of Georgia and a Medical Advisory Board.

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