You are here
Family Bank: AlphaCord
About
In 2002, AlphaCord was founded by a parent who believes that newborn stem cell banking should be more affordable for everyday families. He sought out to offer an alternative option equal or higher in quality but more cost effective than most companies. AlphaCord provides cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta tissue banking and cryopreservation services. Our company was founded on the principles of affordability while still maintaining the highest quality banking. Don’t take our word for it; just ask our clients why AlphaCord is the most Recommended, Repeated, and Referred Bank.
Labs and Locations
Our Laboratory Services are provided by Cryopoint Biorepository in Brownsburg, Indiana (a geographic safe zone). The lab is registered with the FDA (under the name BHC LLC) to store Human Cells and Tissue (HCT/P establishment 3009651519) with approvals for umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and placenta tissue.
- A fully licensed and FDA registered laboratory
- Lab Accreditation: AABB, AATB
- State Licenses: CA, IL, MD, NJ, NY.
Business Experience
AlphaCord is a privately held company that has maintained financial stability without debt since its inception. Operating under the principle of best practices, our policies and procedures are structured to maintain the industry’s highest scientific standards while controlling costs to keep our prices affordable for our clients. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards and moral integrity and pride ourselves on not being influenced by the pharmaceutical industry or a pharmaceutical conglomerate’s desire to drive the bottom line. Our mission is to make newborn stem cell banking affordable for everyone. We have successfully stored over 50,000 samples.
Collection Kit
The AlphaCord collection kit includes the FDA preferred 250cc Pall cord blood collection bag. This bag contains 35ml of CPD anti-coagulant, and is ready to collect cord blood by the gravitational pull method. Our collection bag is sterile both inside and out and can be used for a C-Section procedure, as well as a vaginal birth.
Transportation container
AlphaCord is proud to report that all collections transported in their standard sterile collection containers and received within 72 hours of birth contained viable cells.
Shipping Info
Parents are provided with a collection kit that includes prepaid shipping labels and detailed shipping instructions to be completed after baby has been born and the sample has been collected. Our package options are all-inclusive and pricing includes shipping / transportation by next day service, including Saturday delivery. AlphaCord also offers an upgrade to a specialized medical courier service for transport on Sundays and holidays.
Processing Method
Our lab utilizes a manual processing method known as the modified Rubinstein method which is a superior processing technique yielding better results and healthier stem cells. In utilizing a manual processing method, our lab biologists are able to optimize the processing technique by customizing the blood separation process based on the volume of blood per sample. This results in less damage than automated processing methods. This superior method results in less red blood cell contamination, less toxicity and a decrease in complication in future use. This ensures that AlphaCord provides the most cutting-edge of new stem cell advances, while continuing to guarantee the safety and viability of your newborn’s stem cells.
Components Stored
Parents receive a Certificate of Storage that describes the cell counts, viability, and microbiology testing of the stored stem cells and other blood components.
Storage Method
Long term storage of our clients' cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta tissue is provided in tanks owned by AlphaCord. In these tanks, the specimens are kept in cryogenic nitrogen vapor. The tanks are thoroughly inspected daily and continually monitored electronically. In the unlikely event of any temperature deviations, sounding alarms are triggered and the on duty lab technicians are notified. Our accredited laboratory has backup generators in case of electrical failures.
Licensing & Accreditation
AlphaCord's laboratory is registered with the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB).
Clinical Experience
We have a 100% success rate of providing viable cells for infusion. In the past 12 months, three of our clients have been participating in an autism clinical study at Duke Medical Center.
Insurance
AlphaCord offers engraftment insurance: If your cord blood stem cells that are processed and stored by AlphaCord are prepared for transplant and fail to engraft, AlphaCord will provide up to $85,000 towards acquiring another source of matching cells. See AlphaCord’s guarantee for certain details and other conditions.
Prices
Please click this link to see the latest promotions for banking with AlphaCord. Standard prices below.
Annual Plans
Cord Blood Only: Cord Blood
Includes shipping, processing, and 1st year of storage
$995 or $99/mo (12 months) / ($125 annual storage fee - starts 2nd year)
Cord Tissue Bundle: Cord Tissue + Cord Blood
Includes shipping, processing, and 1st year of storage
$995 or $99/mo (12 months) / ($225 annual storage fee - starts 2nd year)
Placenta Bundle: Placenta Tissue + Cord Tissue + Cord Blood
Includes shipping, processing, and 1st year of storage
$1795 or $165/mo (12 months) / ($295 annual storage fee - starts 2nd year)
Prepaid Storage Plans
Cord Blood Only: Cord Blood
Includes shipping, processing, and 18 years of storage
$1995 or $180/mo (12 months) – Prepaid Savings $1,125
Cord Tissue Bundle: Cord Tissue + Cord Blood
Includes shipping, processing, and 18 years of storage
$2995 or $265/mo (12 months) – Prepaid Savings $1,825
Placenta Bundle: Placenta Tissue + Cord Tissue + Cord Blood
Includes shipping, processing, and 18 years of storage
$4995 or $435/mo (12 months) – Prepaid Savings $1900
AlphaCord’s prices are comprehensive with no hidden fees.
Additional Services
AlphaCord's Premium 5-Chamber Storage - ADDITIONAL ONE TIME CHARGE OF $59 - The NextGen System has a 5 Chamber Storage Bag. Five separate chambers, allow family members up to five different stem cell treatments. Click here to read more about the 5 Chamber Bag.
AlphaCord will retrieve and ship your baby’s stem cells to a licensed treatment facility within the United States at no charge.