LifeCell International, a leader in Community Cord Blood Stem Cell Banking, and India’s next-generation comprehensive healthcare solutions provider for mother and the baby, has announced the expansion of its Community Banking Registry to over 75,000 high-quality, qualified and consented cord blood units, as part of its repository of Indian-origin stem cells. This marks a significant milestone, as cord blood stem cells have a widespread application in life-saving treatments for over 90 life-threatening blood disorders like blood cancers, blood disorders, bone marrow failure syndromes, metabolic disorders, and immune disorders, etc.
Community Cord Blood Stem Cell Banking is an innovative model of stem cell banking, pioneered by LifeCell International, in which the qualified cryopreserved cord blood unit from a baby becomes part of a common repository which is accessible to all community members. This is beneficial to the baby and the family members including parents, siblings, and maternal and paternal grandparents, and also to the community at large, since the stem cell resources are shared. As the registry size grows, the chances of a community banking member in need of finding a matching donor increases significantly.
At present, there is a need for over 50,000 stem cell transplants annually in India, while only around 2,000 transplants are actually performed. Additionally, in over 90 percent of blood-related conditions, the baby’s own stored cord blood stem cells cannot be used, and a healthy donor stem cells must be found. As an individual has the best chance of finding a donor match within the same ethnic community, LifeCell’s achievement becomes even more significant, as the size of its Indian-origin inventory ensures more than a 97 percent chance of finding a suitable match for an Indian patient.
Commenting on the milestone, Sumanth Sarangapani, CEO – LifeCell International, said, “We are proud to have achieved over 75,000 qualified, consented and high-quality cord blood units in our registry. In India, 70 percent of patients do not find a suitable stem cell donor in their own family. Our innovative community banking model solves the current key challenges for an Indian patient trying to find a matching stem cell donor outside their own family, such as non-availability of a public cord blood bank in India, high dropout rates in bone marrow registries and lack of financial resources. It is also important to note that finding the right donor match in a public cord blood bank outside India is less than 10 percent, and the typical cost of securing one cord blood unit can be as high as INR 35 lakhs. We are committed to creating a comprehensive cord blood stem cell registry which fulfills the healthcare needs of all Indians, and to making innovative life-saving treatments accessible to all Indian families that need them, irrespective of their financial position.”
Given the relative nascence, in India, of the concept of community stem cell banking, the expansion of LifeCell’s cord blood units inventory to over 75,000 is a tremendous achievement, and the company’s goal is to be a leading contributor to meeting the increasing demand for cord blood stem cell transplants in the nation.
LifeCell’s Community Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank is recognized by leading medical bodies including IAP, ISPAT and India’s leading bone marrow stem cell transplant doctors along with alignment to the recent recommendations of the Indian Council Of Medical Research (ICMR).
About LifeCell International
LifeCell International, founded in 2004 in Chennai, is India’s premier healthcare services provider, leveraging advanced technologies such as stem cells and genomics towards addressing the country’s current & future health needs.
LifeCell’s Community Banking Program offers the world’s largest repository of ready-to-use access to over 75,000 matching cord blood stem cell units for Indian origin patients seeking a transplant. Its facilities are licensed by DCGI and accredited by AABB, WHO, NABL, CAP, US FDA, etc.
In addition, LifeCell offers cell and tissue-based biologics services for various conditions, including advanced wound care, surgical recovery, regenerative medicine and more. Its manufacturing facilities are authorized by DCGI and AATB accredited, ensuring the highest quality and safety standards.
It also provides special health investigations for patients seeking discreet self-service offerings from the comfort of their homes through mail-order test kits that cover a range of conditions, including fertility, sexual and general health.
Committed to improving health outcomes by providing preventive and definitive diagnosis, LifeCell is working relentlessly to help every child and family live their healthiest lives.
