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Family Bank: Americord
About
Americord is the confident choice for parents committed to keeping their families healthy for life. Americord offers the most thoughtfully advanced biobanking options, including cord blood, cord tissue, placental tissue, and exosomes. They also offer advanced newborn health screening to better equip parents with crucial medical insights for the future. With exceptional service and unparalleled transparency, Americord remains a top-rated stem cell bank for expecting families. Informed parents choose Americord.
Americord’s Stem Cell Consultants are available to answer questions and assist with decision-making 7 days a week. To speak with a consultant, please call 866-503-6005 or book a consultation online.
Labs and Locations
Americord operates their own laboratory and storage facility in Somerset, New Jersey. The facility houses pharmaceutical grade clean rooms with extra space for expansion. This state-of-the-art facility processes perinatal stem cells and tissues 24/7. Americord’s lab is strategically located near major international airports and major ground transportation hubs, which allows for easy access to expedited stem cell collections.
Business Experience
For over 15 years, Americord has put families first. With total transparency, competitive pricing, and exceptional service, Americord has helped thousands of families live longer, healthier lives.
In 2008, Martin Smithmyer founded Americord after searching for a cord blood bank for his own children. While not satisfied with what was available, Smithmyer created Americord with the mission to extend and improve lives through stem cell science. The company continues to be family owned and operated today. Americord actively looks for unique and innovative ways to improve the therapeutic utility of perinatal stem cells and tissues and to provide the best possible outcomes for families across the nation.
Dr. Robert Dracker has served as Americord’s Medical Director since 2010. His extensive background in stem cell research and therapies positions Americord as an innovative scientific leader in the industry. Dr. Dracker was previously the Medical Director of Biocyte, the nation's first private cord blood company. He has chaired the Working Group on Cord Blood Stem Cell Guidelines for New York State, served as the Chairperson of the Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Committee for the NY State Department of Health, and was an architect of the New York licensing requirements for cord blood banks.
Americord’s mission is to continuously improve and learn - to educate each other, the families who rely on them, and healthcare providers across the country. They strive to do this by providing the best long-term health outcomes, advice, and options. Americord is constantly seeking innovations and changes that will maintain their position as a premier cord blood, cord tissue, placental tissue, and exosome bank in the industry.
Americord is the first private biobank to offer the ability to preserve exosomes, small vesicles that play a crucial role in intercellular communication and potential therapeutic applications. Exosomes are currently being studied in dozens of clinical trials and may someday be a viable treatment option for families. This type of innovation is what makes Americord stand out against their competitors.
Collection Kit
Americord allows parents to decide what to bank right up until delivery, with their 4-in-1 Collection Kit for the collection of cord blood, cord tissue, placental tissue, and exosomes.
Americord uses an FDA-approved 5-compartment cord blood storage bag for all births, including C-sections, eliminating the need for sterile extension sets. The cord blood collection bag contains citrate phosphate dextrose (CPD), an FDA-approved heparin-free anticoagulant. This prevents the cord blood from clotting during transportation to the lab.
Transportation container
Americord’s container was custom designed to ensure the highest quality care and safety during transportation. The container consists of a regulated thermal insulation bag and foam insulated shipping box. The shipping container has been rigorously tested and maintains temperature under warm and cold weather conditions.
Shipping Info
Americord provides single-step shipping. Once the cord blood and tissues are collected, the parents notify the shipping partner. A dedicated medical courier collects the kit and transports the container to the lab, maintaining a secure chain-of-custody. The courier is available on weekends and holidays.
Processing Method
Cord Blood 2.0TM Processing is based on the Rubenstein method to manually isolate a higher yield of cord blood stem cells for our families. These stem cells are stored in 5 compartment bags to ensure maximum flexibility for future use as stem cell treatments.
CryoMaxxTM Cord Tissue Processing and CryoMaxxTM Placental Tissue Processing use a minimal manipulation to retain the nature of the perinatal tissue. These tissue processing methods preserve maximum flexibility for future use as stem cell treatments or for tissue repair and regeneration applications.
Components Stored
Once the cold blood, cord tissue, placental tissue, and/or exosomes are stored, Americord provides a Certificate of Storage to the family. For cord blood stem cell storages, the cord blood collection volume and the total nucleated cell count (TNC) is provided. For cord tissue and placental tissue storages, the condition of the tissues and the length of the cord tissue is provided.
Storage Method
The isolated cord blood stem cells are stored in 5 compartment bags. The cord tissue and placental tissue are each stored in 5 cryovials ensuring flexibility for future use. These perinatal stem cells and tissues are stored long-term in the vapor phase of cryogenic freezers that are monitored 24/7 with automatic notification in the case of temperature excursions
Licensing & Accreditation
Americord operates to the highest quality standards in the industry. The company is registered with the US FDA for collection of stem cells from cord blood, cord tissue, placenta tissue, and exosomes. Americord is accredited by the AABB.
Clinical Experience
Americord has stored thousands of stem cell samples for families over the years and is proud to hold a 100% success rate for 14 cord blood units released for autologous transplants.
Insurance
Americord provides a $110,000 Cord Blood Quality Guarantee with each cord blood storage. They promise to pay up to $110,000 for another source of stem cells for medical treatment, should a baby’s cord blood stem cells fail to engraft. This is the highest guarantee in the industry.
Prices
Americord offers a variety of packages, bundles, and payment plans that represent the best value in the industry. Plans start at $145 per month, for 24-months with 0% interest. Packages are highly customizable, meaning families can choose exactly what they want - from the services to the storage lengths. For current rates, offers, terms and conditions, please call Americord at 866-503-6005 or visit Americordblood.com.