BioCells is headquartered in Argentina, with affiliates under development in Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Panama and Puerto Rico. The company is the second largest stem cell storage company in Argentina, and is considered to be profitable, with annual revenues of $1.2 million in 2009 according to a press release regarding the acquisition. The company also has 12 locations throughout Argentina, plus a recent expansion into Uruguay and Paraguay.

On April 19, 2010, Cord Blood America announced that a letter of intent had been signed by both companies for Cord Blood America to purchase controlling interest in BioCells.

“We are very confident that this acquisition will close by the end of August,” said Matthew Schissler, Cord Blood America co-founder and CEO. “Having controlling interest in BioCells will significantly boost our bottom line by one to one and a half million dollars annually. It’s a historic day when CBAI can add a profitable entity to its family of companies. It is our goal to build Cord Blood America into the world’s premier stem cell storage company, with current transactions being completed in Germany, as a foundation for all of Europe, and in China.”

The acquisition is expected to be closed no later than August 31, 2010.

[Source]

Their services include the processing and banking of umbilical cord blood, bone marrow and adipose tissue derived stem cells. They will also offer genetic counseling, bone marrow match testing and a registry that will be available to the public and medical community.

Here is the contact info for Celebration Stem Cell Centre.

Today, Insception and the Toronto Cord Blood Program banks over 32 000 samples of cord blood. With the largest number of banked cord blood units in Canada, Insception is easily one of the most experienced and established cord blood programs.

Successful transplants are an accurate measure of a cord blood bank’s quality, and Insception demonstrates excellence in its field as the company has released several cord blood units for transplant. Over the years, 10 children have received cord blood transplants to treat a myriad of diseases, including Retinoblastoma, Leukemia and Fanconi Anemia. 7 units have also been released for use in cellular therapy clinical trials for Type 1 diabetes and Cerebral Palsy.

The cord blood program also exhibits an unprecedented focus on the customer experience. With the Wings of Hope: Medical Need Program, Insception offers support to families that present a high likelihood of requiring a stem cell transplant. As part of the program, Insception will waive the initial banking fee, giving low-income families otherwise unobtainable access to the valuable ‘insurance policy’ that cord blood banking provides.

Insception also offers one of the only payment plans available in the Biosciences industry. With the Peace of Mind Plan, expecting parents can make the banking process far more affordable than they ever thought possible. They are guaranteed storage for 18 years, without having to pay any upfront fees. With monthly payments of $75, Insception makes cord blood banking an attainable prospect for families with varying budgetary restrictions.

The company continues to expand, as Insception welcomes cord blood units from each and every hospital in Canada. The company has recently launched a new office in Alberta and hopes to expand even further in the future.

AssureImmune
Web: www.AssureImmune.com
PHONE: 1-888-3immune (888-346-6863)
OFFICE: Boca Raton, FL

CordBancUSA
Web: www.CordBancUSA.com
PHONE: 1-888-273-7770
OFFICE: Monterey, CA

Cord Blood America
Web: www.cordblood-america.com
PHONE: 888-326-7235 (888-3-CORCELL)
OFFICE: Las Vegas, NV and Philadelphia, PA

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

Cryobanks International
Web: www.cryo-intl.com
PHONE: 800-869-8608 or 407-834-8333
OFFICE: Altamonte Springs, FL; near Orlando

Cryo-Cell International
web: www.cryo-cell.com
PHONE: 800-STOR-CELL
OFFICE: Oldsmar FL, near Tampa

DomaniCell
Web: www.domanicell.com
PHONE: 201-883-5308
OFFICE: Hackensack, NJ

Elie Katz Umbilical Cord Blood Program
Web: www.communitybloodservices.org/cb_ekucbp.php
PHONE: 1-866-SAVCORD
OFFICE: Allendale, NJ

FamilyCord
Web: www.familycord.com
PHONE: 800-490-CORD (2673)
OFFICE: Los Angeles, CA

Genesis Bank
Web: www.thegenesisbank.com
PHONE: 800-804-6703
OFFICE: General BioTechnology, Indianapolis, IN

HemaStem Therapeutics
web: www.hemastem.com
PHONE: 800-203-7349; or Email info@hemastem.com
OFFICE: Main office located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

LifebankUSA
Web: www.lifebankusa.com
PHONE: 877-LIFEBANK
OFFICE: Cedar Knolls, NJ

LifeLine Cryogenics
Web: www.lifelinecryogenics.com
PHONE: 1-866-967-CRYO
OFFICE: Stamford, CT

LifeSource Cryobank LLC
Web: www.LifeSourceCryobank.com
PHONE: 866-400-7333 or 985-867-8902
OFFICE: Covington, LA

MAZE Labs
Web: www.MAZEcordblood.com
PHONE: 914-683-0000
OFFICE: Westchester, NY
STORAGE: Storage facility in Purchase, NY.

NeoCells
Web: www.neocells.com
PHONE: 888-50-CELLS
OFFICE: Palm Harbor, FL
STORAGE: Reproductive Genetics Institute, Chicago, IL

New England Cord Blood Bank
Web: www.cordbloodbank.com
PHONE: 888-700-CORD
OFFICE: Boston, MA

PacifiCord
Web: www.PacifiCord.com
PHONE: 1-888-379-CORD (2673)
OFFICE: Irvine, CA
STORAGE: Irvine, CA

Regenerative Medicine Institute (RMI)
Web: www.rmilabs.com
PHONE: 877-844-7379
OFFICE: SIRM offices in Las Vegas, Nevada

Safetycord, Inc.
Web: www.safetycord.com
PHONE: +1 305 432 2673
OFFICE: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Securacell
Web: www.securacell.com
PHONE: 866-836-CELL
OFFICE: Canton, OH

StemCyte
Web: www.StemCyteFamily.com
PHONE: 866-389-4659
OFFICE: StemCyte, Covina, CA

Stork Medical
Web: www.stork.md
PHONE: 866-65-STORK
OFFICE: Columbus, GA

Utah Cord Bank
Web: www.utahcordbank.com
PHONE: 877-UCB-STEM (1-877-822-7836)
OFFICE: Sandy, Utah

ViaCord
web: www.viacord.com
PHONE: 866-668-4895
OFFICE: Cambridge, MA

Xytex Cord Blood Bank
Web: www.xytexcordblood.com
PHONE: 800-277-3210 or Email tissues@xytex.com
OFFICE: Augusta, GA

There are around thirty private cord blood banks across the country, where cord blood is stored for autologous use at an cost that generally exceeds $1500 plus an annual fee of at least $100. Cord Blood America has set its prices at $2075 plus $125 annually.

“Private banking insures that you have stem cells that are a perfect match,” Cord Blood America CEO Matthew Schissler said. “You don’t have to go looking for the match.”

Jennifer Lahl, founder and national director at The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network said umbilical cord blood can be stored for years and used to treat diseases and conditions.

“This is a brand-new field, and certainly it’s a wonderful, precious resource,” she said. “It’s a win-win. People on all sides of the political and religious divide can come together and say this is good for everybody.”

She said only about 10 percent of umbilical cord blood is saved.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the two companies was signed at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit and the collaboration has resulted into StemCyte India Therapeutics Pvt. Ltd.

This cord blood bank will be located in Ahmedabad and will have the patented technique of processing and storage of StemCyte Inc., announced the officials of the StemCyte on Thursday.

Controversy has risen in the recent years as to whether donors should go for public cord blood banks or the private ones. There are several factors which contribute to these sentiments. Some physicians do not recommend donors choose private banks because many of these banks are not standardized.  The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) points the fact that private cord blood banks are beneficial only for those parents whose relative needs a current transplant, but benefit no one else. Private storage is recommended for a family that has a medical history of metabolic disorder. Alternatively the AAP suggests that parents donate to public cord blood banks where cord blood can be made available to many people for treating various diseases. One of the primary reasons for such recommendations is that around ten thousand people are diagnosed with diseases each year and only public cord blood banks provide cord blood globally to any patient who need be treated with cell transplant. Private cord blood banks will provide cord blood only to donors (for their use or their families) who store cord blood for a fee.

Another major reason for physicians not encouraging private cord blood banks is because of the marketing and advertising strategies used by some of these banks. The private banks target every expectant couple and convince them that they are potentially providing a life saving opportunity to their families. This sort of emotional reasoning has worked in many parents to go in for private banks which stores cord blood exclusively for the donor’s use. Even doctors who are convinced by the stem- cell advances encourage parents (who can afford to pay that money) to opt for private banks so that cord blood can be used to save their child’s future or another family member. But there is no correct numbers to quote about the risk of a child needing stem- cell in the future. The APC and ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) studies reveal that numbers would fall anywhere between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 200000, whereas some the private banks have advertised numbers as low as 1 in 2700.

As private cord blood banking is expensive, parents should research which one is best suited for their family’s needs. Some things they should check before going with private cord blood banks are whether the bank is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks, the number of cord blood units it stores, and the number of successful transplants it has conducted with the stored samples and the way it is stored (whether in single unit or small units).

Through the use of marketing tools such as flyers, direct mailings, and parenting magazines, most parents usually find themselves in fix as they diligently do their homework. Though public cord blood banking is free, the advantage of securing their child’s cord blood in a private bank for their child’s future seems imperative for many parents. It is perceived as being as essential to a child’s future security as life insurance. At that juncture cost may not be considered as a major issue especially for parents who can afford it. Parents reason it as a good investment for their child in case they may need it in the future.

But this is not the case for all the parents. The cost of opting for private banks is quite high at around 1000 to 2000 dollars. Even for parents who can afford it, they are advised that their money be used for some other purpose such as starting a college fund for their children. The subject of cord blood banking has been controversial in the recent years; one such reason being the reliability of the cord blood stored in private banks.

Though donation of child’s cord blood to a public cord blood bank is highly recommended, parents don’t easily opt for it for one reason that number of public cord blood banks that allow cord blood donations are not widely available. Secondly, parents hold unwarranted fears if their child or a family member would get cord blood at their time of emergency or need.

A brief look into the pros and cons of both public and private banking will help the parents decide which is best suitable for them.

Whether the parents choose to opt for public or private cord blood bank, the main criteria is to make sure whether the cord blood unit meets the standards to be used in a cell transplant. Only those cord blood units that are free from infection and diseases and have enough blood forming cells are fit for use in cell transplants.

Public Cord Blood Bank Storage

The public cord blood banks do not collect a fee and the bank covers all aspects of costs for processing, testing and storing.

The cord blood is made available to any patient who is in need of stem cell transplant. The donor cannot preserve it for their family’s use.

The bank ensures strict standards to maintain the quality of the cord blood unit. In case of any decrease in standards the cord blood is either discarded or sent for research purposes.

Private Cord Blood Bank Storage

The cord blood that is stored in private banks is preserved exclusively for the donor’s use (or for their family or relatives)

The fee for storing cord blood is high. The private banks collect fees for collecting, storing (annual or monthly) and processing.

There are lots of private cord blood banks throughout the country and many of them are accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks.

The umbilical cord used to be thrown away when a baby was born.  But these days, blood from the umbilical cord can be collected after your baby’s birth and donated to a public cord blood bank to help someone with a life-threatening disease!

Donating is a simple thing to do. Receiving can be the gift of life.

If you were to choose to donate your child’s umbilical cord blood, your labor and delivery are not affected at all. No blood is taken from your baby or yourself, only from the umbilical cord itself once your baby is born.

Get information to help you make an informed decision

• Cord blood is changing lives today – Learn about how umbilical cord blood offers hope
• Options for cord blood – Understand your options for donation
• Cord blood donation FAQs – Find answers to your questions about umbilical cord blood donation

Learn how to donate your Umbilical Cord Blood

• How to donate cord blood – A step-by-step overview of the donation process, including your role, how cord blood is collected in the hospital and what happens at the public cord blood bank to your umbilical cord blood.
• Learn if you can donate – See medical eligibility guidelines for donation. Some people can and some can’t.
• Where to donate – Find out if your hospital works with a public cord blood bank and whether there is a public bank in your city

NMDP commitment to cord blood donation

For 20 years, the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) has matched people (donors) and patients to facilitate bone marrow transplants and help save lives. Today, the NMDP is dedicated to partnering with cord blood banks all around the world to build a strong network and inventory of high-quality cord blood units available to any patient who needs a transplant.

In 2006, the NMDP was selected by the U.S. federal government to operate the nation’s Cord Blood Coordinating Center. We are conducting a research study on cord blood transplantation and patient outcomes. (Learn more about our network of banks in the United States — listed in Where to Donate — as well as international cord blood registries.)