Cord Blood Bank Receives Recognition for Customer Service

Cord Blood Found in Placenta May Double Stem Cell Yield from Cord Blood Collections

The First Quarter 2015 Sets the Stage for yet Another Strong Year

Americord Funds Clinical Trial Examining the Use of Donor Stem Cells in Patients with Previously Treated Cancers

Funds Will Support Research into Treating Patients Who Have Received Chemotherapy For Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Americord Funds Clinical Trial Investigating Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation in Patients with Hematological Malignancies

Funds Will Support Research Into Safety and Efficacy of Genetically Unmatched Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantations Using a Myeloablative Preparative Regimen.

Offers Free Cord Blood Banking Raffle To Attendees in New York City

New York – November 11, 2013 – Americord is a sponsor at this year’s Big City Moms’ Biggest Baby Shower Ever, which will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City on Wednesday November 13th. This is Americord’s fifth appearance at the event and once again the company will raffle off free cord blood banking to one lucky family.

Big City Moms’ Biggest Baby Shower Ever provides an engaging forum in which leading childbirth industry companies showcase their offerings to an audience primarily made up of new and expectant parents. In addition to learning about the companies’ offerings, attendees are able to take advantage of discounts, raffles, and giveaways of the most desired services and products.

“Big City Moms’ Biggest Baby Shower Ever is a fun and truly valuable event,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “It gives us an opportunity to speak directly with parents-to-be, to talk about what we offer, and also to get a deeper understanding of how we can continue to offer the best service and value in the cord blood banking industry.” Unlike other leading cord blood banking companies, Americord’s marketing strategy relies predominantly on word-of-mouth referrals and direct interaction with parents-to-be. Largely as a result of its low-cost marketing approach, Americord is able to offer cord blood banking at approximately 50% lower cost than its competitors.

Big City Moms created the Biggest Baby Shower Ever event to give new and expectant parents an opportunity to interact personally with leading childbirth industry companies. This opportunity is very important to Americord since it has taken a strong stance against compensating doctors for referrals, and therefore is rarely featured in doctors’ offices nationwide. The information Americord provides to parents at the conference includes a side-by-side comparison of Americord and its competitors as well as a detailed list of Americord’s services. Americord has found that many expectant parents are surprised to learn that there is an equally high-quality but significantly more affordable alternative to the larger umbilical cord blood banks like CBR (Cord Blood Registry) and ViaCord.

Americord Funds Clinical Trial Investigating Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation in Patients with Beta Thalassemia Major

Americord Funds Clinical Trial Investigating Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation in Patients with Beta Thalassemia Major

New York – November 6, 2014 – Americord Registry announced today that it has provided funding to Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Funding will support research into the safety and efficacy of umbilical cord stem cell transplantations to treat Beta Thalassemia Major. Specifically, in this trial umbilical cord blood is used to reduce the occurrence of Graft-Versus-Host Disease in patients receiving haploidentical HSCT transplants to treat Beta Thalassemia Major.

Beta Thalassemia Major is a genetic blood disorder that involves the decreased production of normal adult hemoglobin. The condition results in a severe anemia that begins a few months after birth.

Americord’s donation of funds is part of the company’s corporate giving program, which was established to support research focused on the therapeutic uses of stem cells from umbilical cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta tissue.

“Americord is committed to supporting the advancement of stem cell technologies,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “Our support of Dr. Chunfu Li’s trial at Nanfang Hospital is a manifestation of that desire.”

The study at Nanfang Hospital began in April 2014 and is anticipated to be complete by June 2015. It is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov in accordance with best practices and requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

For more information about the clinical trial: http://1.usa.gov/1wv862c

Americord Launches Revolutionary Stem Cell Collection Process

Cord Blood 2.0® Preserve Up to Twice as Many Stem Cells in Cord BloodNew York – October 22, 2014 – Americord Registry announced today the launch of Cord Blood 2.0®, its innovative cord blood banking system that can collect and preserve up to twice as many stem cells as traditional cord blood collections.

“Traditional cord blood banking is outdated,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “Cord Blood 2.0® for cord blood banking is truly revolutionary and enables parents to store enough stem cells to expand potential treatment options for their children.”

The volume of stem cells preserved in traditional cord blood collection is only sufficient to treat patients up to 65 pounds. This is a “major limitation to the use of cord blood transplants in adults,” according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The increased volume of preserved stem cells with Cord Blood 2.0® enables larger patients to be treated while offering an expanded range of treatment options for smaller patients.

“I am proud to be at the forefront of cord blood banking technology,” said Dr. Robert Dracker, the Executive Medical Director at Americord. “Cord Blood 2.0® expands the treatment options and provides an immense measure of safety and security to expectant parents.”

Cord Blood 2.0® has a two-step process that begins with the use of Americord’s innovative Gravity Stand™. The device uses the force of gravity to collect a significantly larger volume of cord blood from the umbilical cord and placenta. The harvested blood then undergoes a unique process at the Americord lab that extracts up to twice as many stem cells as currently available methods

“As a father, I am especially hopeful that there will be advances in stem-cell therapies that will help even more children in the future,” said Mr. Smithmyer. “Americord is not content with the status quo and will continue leading innovations in the cord blood banking industry so we can continue to help parents and their children.”

Research explores the benefits of using autologous cord blood stem cells for children with Cerebral Palsy

New York – September 18, 2014 – Americord announced today that it has provided funding to support a clinical trial investigating the efficacy of autologous umbilical cord blood for the treatment of pediatric patients with cerebral palsy.

This trial is being conducted under the direction of an internationally renowned expert in umbilical cord blood transplantation. The purpose is to determine whether infusions of a child’s own cord blood can lessen the symptoms of cerebral palsy. The goal of the trial explores the potential of discovering how cord blood could be used for other purposes, including reducing inflammation in the brain and producing new hormones to repair damaged brain cells.

“This research for children with cerebral palsy is truly exciting,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “We will be following this trial with great interest and we are thrilled to provide funding to help support it.” Americord’s funding has been made through its corporate giving program, which was established to support research focused on the therapeutic uses of stem cells from umbilical cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta tissue.

Cord Blood Bank Endorses Recommendation by American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology for Delayed Cord Clamping and Cord Blood Banking

New York – June 15, 2014 – Americord Registry announced today that it endorses the practice of delayed cord clamping following the recommendations by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG).The ACOG recommends that parents who choose to delay cord clamping do so for at least 90 seconds and no more than three minutes following birth. This time frame helps to ensure that the child receives the benefits of the cord blood while still saving enough stem cells for a cord blood collection. When the cord blood collection is begun no later than three minutes, the chances of a viable collection size are high.“With new research into delayed cord clamping and its many benefits, more parents are considering this practice,” says Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “We want parents to know that delayed cord clamping and cord blood banking are both possible, following the recommendations by the ACOG.”Current industry benchmarks for cord blood collections are a minimum of 100 million cells. Given the amount of blood likely to flow out of the placenta at the time of birth, there is typically plenty to be stored for later use. Americord is also the only cord blood bank to offer Cord Blood 2.0™, which allows parents to collect up to twice as many stem cells as the industry standard. Now that it is possible to collect twice as many stem cells, parents can do a cord blood collection after delayed cord clamping that results in a viable collection size and volume while still providing their child with the health benefits of delayed cord clamping.

Americord’s Significant Investment in Brooklyn Will Create New Jobs in New York

NEW YORK, June 11, 2014 — Americord announced today that it will expand its presence in New York as a result of START-UP NY, an initiative that creates tax-free areas across New York State. Under the program, Americord will invest more than $402,000 toward a new research and development laboratory and spur the creation of new jobs.

“We are thrilled to be among the first companies to take part in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s START-UP NY program,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn is a leader in the biotech industry, so this is an exceptional opportunity for us to develop innovative stem cell preservation technologies at the lowest possible cost while maintaining the highest standards.” In addition to research and development, Americord also plans to locate certain operational activities at SUNY Downstate Brooklyn.

Americord’s track record of more than 2,200% growth since 2011 indicates that it is the fastest growing cord blood bank in the United States.

Americord Yields 60% More CD34+ Stem Cells, 54% More Cord Blood, and 34% Higher TNC Than Competitors

New York – May 27, 2014 – Americord announced today that its average cord blood stem cell collection statistics beat the cord blood banking industry medians by significant margins across three critical measures. An in-depth analysis of collection samples through March 31, 2014 revealed that Americord collects 60% more CD34+ stem cells, 54% higher volume, and 34% higher total nucleated cells (TNCs) than are typically collected by other private cord blood banks, as reported in a studypublished in Transfusion, the AABB’s scholarly, peer-reviewed, monthly journal.¹“From cutting-edge technology to industry-best processing standards, Americord employs every available tool to collect and preserve the largest volume of viable stem cells for our clients,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “The results of this analysis prove that our efforts are delivering quantifiable value for parents and creating much greater opportunities for successful stem cell therapy should it be needed in the future.”

One of the current limitations of cord blood therapy is that the volume of stem cells in a typical cord blood collection is insufficient to effectively treat an adult patient (or anyone over approximately 65 pounds on average). To address this issue, Americord has invested significant resources in the development of technologies and procedures that will increase the volume of stem cells that can be collected when a baby is born. Steps Americord takes to optimize the volume of viable stem cells that can be collected from umbilical cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta tissue include the use of the FDA approved Pall collection bag, an expedited medical courier service, and processing in a CLIA Certified, AABB accredited laboratory that follows all of the best practices for processing and storing umbilical cord blood.

¹ Sun, JJ et al., Transfusion Sept. 2010; 50(9):1980-1987

Abstract Presented at ASPHO Conference by Americord’s Medical Director Dr. Robert Dracker

Funds Will Support Research Into Safety and Efficacy of NEUROSTEM-AD®

New York – May 2, 2014 – Americord announced today that it has provided funding to MEDIPOST, a leading stem cell biotechnology company, to support their clinical trial investigating the use of NEUROSTEM-AD® in the treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. NEUROSTEM-AD® is a treatment agent for Alzheimer’s Disease that uses human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

This is the first donation that Americord has made under its recently launched corporate giving program, which was established to support research focused on the therapeutic uses of stem cells from umbilical cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta tissue.

“At Americord, we are committed to assisting the world’s leading scientists as they pursue cutting edge stem cell-based therapies for diseases and conditions that have long-proved to be difficult or impossible to treat,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “We are thrilled to make a donation to MEDIPOST to support their research into the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease with a stem cell-based therapy.”

MEDIPOST’s study began in February 2014 and is anticipated to be complete by December 2015. It is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov in accordance with best practices and requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Americord CEO Interviewed For Article Exploring Good And Bad Practices In The Industry

New York – April 25, 2014 – Americord Registry client Whitney Ferrarese was featured in a extensive front page Wall Street Journal article published last week about her family’s positive experience with cord blood banking. Ms. Ferrarese and her husband chose Americord to store their first baby’s cord blood after a long online search, and they plan to store their second baby’s cord blood with Americord as well.While the Ferrareses have had an excellent experience with Americord, the article uncovered a number of deceptive practices and poor quality services among other cord blood banks. For the article, the Wall Street Journal conducted an analysis of government inspections and lawsuits in the U.S. and found a variety of problems, including dirty storage conditions, leaky blood samples and firms going out of business.

According to the article, some of the lower quality banks have made major errors in the processing and storage of cord blood that led to complications for their clients down the road. For example, one company failed to properly label a cord blood unit for transplant that ultimately led to the family not being able to use their cord blood despite having paid for the service.

“While leading companies in the industry, including Americord, maintain the highest quality standards for cord blood banking, certain competitors have failed to uphold the same rigorous attention to quality,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer, who was also interviewed for the article. “It is irresponsible and inexcusable to live up to anything less than the highest standards when people’s health is at stake.” Americord recently published its Cord Blood Banking Bill of Rights, which details the need for cord blood banks to maintain and be transparent about very specific quality standards that exist to protect clients from potential issues that could arise from cord blood being stored improperly.

Americord is registered with the FDA and accredited by the Better Business Bureau. The company’s laboratory is CLIA Certified; and complies with all federal, state, and AABB guidelines and applicable licenses. Americord’s Medical Director Dr. Robert A. Dracker, who is a pediatrician, hematologist/oncologist, transfusion medicine specialist, and experienced blood and stem cell banking leader, is responsible for all of Americord’s laboratory, collection and transport protocols and procedures, licensing and accreditation, establishing quality controls and advising the company with respect to scientific and medical matters. Americord’s commitment to quality is backed by the highest guarantee in the industry at $90,000.

Funds Will Support The Advancement Of Cutting Edge Stem Cell Research Worldwide

New York – April 7, 2014 – Americord announced today the launch of its corporate giving program, which will support research focused on the therapeutic uses of stem cells from umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and placenta tissue. In addition to ongoing and future clinical trials focused on a broad array of diseases, conditions, and injuries, Americord’s corporate giving program may also fund research related to stem cell technologies with broad applications in the field.

“Americord is committed to supporting doctors and scientists worldwide who are at the cutting edge of research into even more and better stem cell-based medical therapies than already exist today,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “Stem cells are opening up a new frontier in the treatment and cure of the most complex diseases, conditions, and injuries, and we want to do our part to help the men and women who are leading the charge into the future of healthcare.”

Americord decided to launch its corporate giving program to further its commitment to being a leader in the cord blood banking industry. It is one of just a handful of cord blood banks that have an established program to support stem cell research. Americord has already invested significant resources in the development of CordAdvantage, a proprietary product due to be released later this year that will harvest stem cells from cord blood from the placenta as well as the umbilical cord.

Crain’s HealthPlus eNewsletter

By Dr. Robert Dracker, Executive Medical Director, Americord Registry

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – The National Marrow Donor Program projects that 10,000 cord blood stem cell transplants will be performed annually by 2015, up from 2,000 in 2006. Stem cells are being used in life-saving therapies, such as leukemia, lymphoma and other blood disorders. The number of diseases that can be treated by stem cells continues to grow as researchers discover new treatments, many of which are in clinical trials or considered experimental. As the list of diseases grows, more parents are electing to store the cord blood of their newborns in anticipation that their child, the child’s siblings or other relatives may one day benefit from it.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorses cord blood banking, but they currently encourage public over private storage because of a belief that a child will probably not benefit from their own cord blood. But recent medical activities are successfully challenging this presumptive theory. There has been a dramatic increase in the use of cord blood for autologous therapy.

Significant Trend in Autologous Therapy

At the 2010 annual meeting of the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT,) Drs. Francis Verter and J.J. Nietfeld compared the rates at which cord blood is being used for the child who banked it (‘autologous’ therapy,) against cord blood given from a donor to a matching patient (‘allogeneic’ therapy). They found that there were more than 200 cases of autologous therapy by the end of 2009, 70% of which occurred in the last two years of that period. This is a significant increase when you consider that, as recently as 2008, a number of medical professional societies had been insisting that the odds of a child using cord blood stored in a family bank were “negligible.”

This rapid rise in autologous therapy can be partially attributed to an increase in the number of patients with some form of brain injury – the most common being Cerebral Palsy (CP) and Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE). According to Nietfeld, the statistics show that the cumulative probability of a child receiving an allogeneic stem cell transplant by age 10 is low, only 1 in 5000. Autologous therapy treatments are actually more likely. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) discovered that CP is found in 1 in 300 U.S. children from the ages of 5-10. If cord blood therapy proves effective for only 12% of patients with CP, the number of children receiving autologous cord blood therapy for CP alone would be double the total number of allogeneic transplants for all pediatric cancers and blood disorders.

Given these numbers and the conclusion Drs. Verter and Nietfeld have made about autologous therapy eventually surpassing allogeneic therapy, it’s only a matter of time before the AAP considers a revised policy statement endorsing private cord blood banking for autologous cord blood stem cell therapies.

Private Cord Blood Banking Makes Sense

The benefits of private banking of cord blood and newborn stem cells for future medical treatments are impressive. Private banking provides a better chance of patient matching, with a 100% match for the “banked” child and a 25-50% probability of a match with the patient’s siblings, depending upon disease and acceptable match criteria determined by a doctor. In addition, there is a lower chance of graft-versus-host disease — a potentially life-threatening condition.

But there is a larger issue that is not being properly addressed by the cord blood banking industry. Traditional cord blood banking – both public and private – does not provide a sufficient quantity of cord blood stem cells. In general, traditional cord blood banking yields stem cell volume sufficient only for a patient weighing up to 65 lbs. Traditional umbilical cord blood yields on average approximately 890 million nucleated cells. A typical cancer patient receiving a cord blood transplant requires approximately 30 million nucleated cells per 2.2 lbs. of body weight. This means for a typical cord blood collection, that the maximum weight of the patient cannot exceed 65 lbs., according to CDC.

Cord Blood Harvesting Technologies

New techniques for cord blood harvesting have emerged, designed to provide more treatment options to a greater variety of patients. In June, Johns Hopkins graduate students announced the invention of a system that significantly boosts the number of stem cells collected from a newborn’s umbilical cord and placenta, which could allow more patients with leukemia, lymphoma and other blood disorders to be treated with these cells. Without adequate collection methods, 90% of these cells are discarded.

A private firm has developed a proprietary technology that collects stem cells from the placenta and umbilical cord blood, preserving more stem cells than traditional cord blood collection methods. It has the additional advantages of a) using an FDA-approved drug to mobilize stem cells from the placenta tissue, and b) relying on devices designed to enhance the collection process.

As the rapid rise of autologous therapy continues, especially for CP and acute traumatic brain injury, the necessity for private banking will increase. The medical science and technology have kept pace with this trend and will continue to do so. Physicians remain enthusiastic about the potential use of placenta stem cells in the emerging fields of gene therapy and cellular repair.

Dr. Robert Dracker, Executive Medical Director, Americord Registry, is a leading hematologist, transfusion medicine specialist and recognized leader in cord blood and stem cell banking. Dr. Dracker was recently named as a consultant to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Pediatric Advisory Committee.

Former ViaCord and Biocyte Executive Joins Americord Registry

Americord Registry, a leader in the advancement of cord blood and placenta stem cell preservation, is proud to announce the appointment of a new Executive Medical Director, Dr. Robert Dracker. A leading hematologist, pediatric oncologist, and experienced blood and stem cell banking expert, Dr. Dracker will be responsible for all laboratory, collection and transport protocols and procedures, as well as licensing and accreditation. He will also be responsible for establishing quality controls and advising Americord on all scientific and medical matters.

Dr. Dracker was also recently named as a consultant to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Pediatric Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Commissioner of Food and Drugs regarding research priorities, among other responsibilities.

“Dr. Dracker is a recognized leader in cord blood banking and we are thrilled to have him join Americord,” said Americord Registry President and CEO Martin Smithmyer.  “Our mission is to advance the preservation of newborn stem cells for future medical treatment and we are confident that with the backing of outstanding medical professionals such as Dr. Dracker, Americord will continue to be successful in this undertaking.”

Previously, Dr. Dracker served as Executive Medical Director for ViaCord and Medical Director of Biocyte Corporation, the precursor to PharmaStem, whose cord blood collection and processing procedures are still used throughout the industry today. He was also part of the Working Group on Cord Blood Stem Cell Guidelines for New York State and an architect of the New York cord blood banking licensing requirements, considered to be the gold standard of cord blood banking accreditations.

“Americord Registry is at the forefront of implementing a new and exciting technique that will provide more treatment options to a greater variety of patients than ever before,” Dr. Dracker said. “This new technique will address the most significant limitation of traditional cord blood banking: the fact that it only preserves enough stem cells to treat patients who weigh up to 65 pounds on average.” Studies demonstrate that Americord’s innovative methods for collecting and storing stem cells may preserve up to 10 times more stem cells than traditional cord blood collection methods.

Dr. Dracker has submitted an abstract to present his research findings in regards to Americord’s innovative stem cell collection method at the CoStem Conference, the International Congress on Controversies in Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies, being held Sept. 8-11 in Berlin, and the AABB Conference, being held Oct. 22-25 in San Francisco, which focuses on the latest in blood banking, transfusion medicine and cellular and related biological therapies.

Dr. Dracker is a graduate of New York University, where he earned his B.A. in Biology, and SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse, where he earned his Doctorate of Medicine. He received his M.S. in Health Services Management from New School for Social Research and his M.B.A. from Columbia College.

Company Offers Chance To Win A Free iPhone 5 And Free Cord Blood Banking

Americord Registry is pleased to announce that it is a sponsor of Big City Moms’ prestigious Biggest Baby Shower Ever event, which will take place on Monday, November 19th at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. This educational and entertaining event will give expectant mothers in New York access to information about the latest products and services offered by 100 of the best companies in the baby care industry. At the event, Americord will offer a raffle for free cord blood banking with 20 years of storage as well as a brand new iPhone 5.“We are thrilled to partner with such an outstanding organization as Big City Moms, and we appreciate this unique opportunity to get to know more moms-to-be right here in our hometown of New York City,” said Martin Smithmyer, President and CEO of Americord Registry. “New Yorkers will be hearing from us a lot more in coming days and months as we do our best to address the needs of parents-to-be in our community.” While the raffle for cord blood banking and an iPhone 5 makes things fun, Americord has a very serious purpose in attending as well. The devastating hurricane that brought economic hardship to much of the northeast at the beginning of November was a reminder that people from all walks of life in all parts of the country can find themselves facing events that impact their budget. Americord is committed to making the highest quality cord blood banking as affordable as possible so that more families can benefit from it.

By keeping its sales and marketing budget low, Americord is able to provide cord blood banking for approximately half the price of its competitors while still meeting or exceeding the highest quality standards in the industry. Leading cord blood banks typically spend upwards of 50% of their revenue on marketing efforts, whereas Americord spends closer to 5% – and those savings are passed directly through to customers. A leader in the industry, Americord is one of only two companies that enables parents-to-be to preserve stem cells from three sources available when a baby is born: umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord tissue, and placenta tissue.

Americord Registry Offers Exclusive Service Preserving Stem Cells From Cord Tissue and Placenta Tissue

New York – This month, The Ontario Genomics Institute, a private not-for-profit life sciences company made an investment in Toronto-based Tissue Regenerative Therapeutics (TRT), a company that aims to use umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat a variety of serious medical conditions. This investment will be used by TRT to take the next steps toward initiating human clinical trials. This comes just months after California’s UC Davis Health System received $53 million in grants to conduct research studies designed to lead to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of human clinical trials using MSCs.MSCs, which can easily be harvested from umbilical cord tissue and placenta tissue when a baby is born, are in fact currently the subject of over 200 clinical trials. While MSCs are not yet being used for medical therapies, research has indicated that they hold the promise of being able to someday treat debilitating conditions such as heart disease, type 1 diabetes, lung cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, and injuries to bones and cartilage.

Americord Registry offers the ability to preserve MSCs. “We are committed to helping parents-to-be expand their baby’s options for future medical treatment,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “Offering the option to preserve MSCs from umbilical cord tissue and placenta tissue is just one of the ways that we are pioneering best-in-class services in the cord blood industry. We are also working closely with scientists to develop a proprietary product that will significant increase the volume of stem cells that can be preserved when a baby is born.”

Americord Registry also offers the ability to preserve stem cells from umbilical cord blood. Parents-to-be can preserve stem cells from just umbilical cord blood, from cord blood and cord tissue, or from cord blood, cord tissue and placenta tissue. For a comparison of Americord’s prices and services with other leading cord blood companies, visit Americord’s website.

Americord’s Guarantee Remains The Highest In The Industry

New York – March 21, 2014 – Today, less than two years after Americord implemented the highest ever quality guarantee in the cord blood banking industry at $80,000, the company has announced that it is increasing its guarantee to $90,000.Like other leading cord blood banks, Americord offers a quality guarantee to provide financial assistance to clients in the event that the stem cells they have banked are needed, but, upon medical use, fail to “engraft”. The guarantee can be used to defray the cost of the procurement of an alternative source of stem cells if medically indicated.

Commenting on Americord’s increased quality guarantee, which remains the highest in the industry, Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer said, “We are dedicated to delivering the highest quality stem cell collection and storage services at the lowest cost, and Americord’s $90,000 guarantee is an important part of the value we offer clients.”

Two of the highest profile cord blood banks, ViaCord and CBR, offer significantly lower quality guarantees ($25,000 and $50,000 respectively), even though the fees they charge for banking cord blood stem cells are significantly higher than what Americord charges.

Americord offers cord blood banking for approximately 50% less than its competitors, and Americord’s price includes the cost of a medical courier as well as 20 years of storage in their state-of-the-art CLIA Certified, AABB compliant laboratory. The company adheres to the most rigorous professional standards in the collection and storage of stem cells.

As Stem Cells from the Umbilical Cord and Placenta Tissue Become More Important, Americord Attracts A New Set of Savvy Customers

New Cord Tissue Research, Aggressive Product Development and Lower Prices Make Cord Tissue Banking More Appealing

New York – February 3, 2014 – When Americord validated its proprietary method for harvesting and preserving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from placenta tissue late last year, it joined leaders in the global scientific community who are increasingly investing significant resources in what many researchers believe represents the future of stem cell-based medical therapies. Found in vast quantities in both cord and placenta tissue, MSCs have unique properties that scientists believe may make them invaluable in the treatment of numerous diseases and regenerative therapies.

Management believes Americord is the first cord blood banking company to harvest and store MSCs from both cord tissue and placenta tissue in the United States, and is the first to bring to market a way to collect and store MSCs from placenta tissue. MSCs are widely considered to be at the forefront of the cord blood banking industry.

According to BioInformant Worldwide, an organization that assembles data on the industry, “Trend analysis of grant activity, scientific publication rates, and patent applications trends reveal that global research activity involving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) increased 112 percent from 2009 to 2010, and 116 percent from 2010 to 2011. Of most interest is that this rate of growth accelerated throughout 2012, making mesenchymal stem cells the fastest growing area of stem cell research.”

MSCs are currently the subject of almost 50 clinical trials, including those investigating MSCs use in treatment of:

• Graft-versus-Host Disease
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Critical Limb Ischemia
• Stroke
• Hereditary Ataxia
• Liver regeneration
• Burn treatment

A complete list of these clinical trials can be found here or here. It has also been proposed that cord tissue could one day be used to treat heart disease, lung cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and injuries to bones and cartilage.

According to Transparency Market Research, a research organization based in Albany, New York, the global industry for cord blood banking services is expected to grow from USD 12.40 billion in 2012 to USD 15.23 billion in 2019. This growth is fueled by the expansion of affordable cord blood banking services, growing bodies of research, more stem cell transplants, and a wider range of stem cell products available.

Widely recognized as a high-quality affordable option for cord blood banking, Americord announced in early 2014 that as a result of its pricing and additional product offerings it was once again believed to be the fastest growing cord blood bank in the United States. Since 2011 the company has achieved revenue growth of more than 2200 percent.

“We are committed to being at the forefront of the cord blood banking industry with innovative products, services, and pricing,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “Our investment in our proprietary method of collecting mesenchymal stem cells from placenta tissue is an example of how we offer expectant parents a level of quality and value that they won’t find with any other cord blood banking company.”

Americord announces over 2200% revenue growth outpacing rival cord blood banks CBR and ViaCord

New York – January 14, 2014 – Americord announced today its continued growth, supporting management’s belief that it remains the fastest growing cord blood bank in the United States. 2013 proved to be another record year for Americord and the company is now moving more quickly than ever towards its goal of being the leading provider of cord blood and cord tissue banking services in the country.

Americord’s exceptional growth rate indicates that it may soon be included in Inc. 500’s prestigious list of the fastest growing companies in the country. Inc. 500 evaluates three years of growth over a benchmark fourth year. Americord’s growth of over 2,200% since 2011 would place it squarely in the top 200 fastest growing companies in the country.

Americord’s extraordinary level of growth has been achieved by maintaining affordable prices, providing high quality services, and aggressively developing new innovative technologies related to cord blood banking. Additionally, Americord has made a name for itself as the only cord blood bank to openly refuse to compensate doctors for patient referrals, a practice that is illegal in the pharmaceutical industry, but thrives in the cord blood banking industry through a loophole in the law. In contrast to its competitors including CBR and ViaCord, Americord relies primarily on referrals from existing clients and grassroots marketing efforts to find new clients.

In addition, Americord’s executives have consciously kept marketing costs at a minimum in order to provide the lowest cost option for cord blood banking on the market. While many of Americord’s competitors spend nearly 50% of revenues on marketing, Americord spends a fraction of that amount, closer to 10%. This dramatic differential enables Americord to pass savings on to clients while still maintaining the company’s best-in-class quality and customer service standards. Demonstrating its commitment to quality, Americord offers the highest Quality Guarantee of any cord blood bank at $90,000.

Committed to being a leader in the science behind stem cell therapy, Americord has also been very busy developing new stem cell products for expectant parents. At the end of 2013 Americord announced that it had validated a new process for collecting mesenchymal stem cells from placenta tissue, making it the first company to successfully isolate these particularly valuable stem cells within placenta tissue while also simplifying the collection process for delivery room medical personnel. In addition, the company’s Executive Medical Director, Dr. Robert Dracker is moving forward in the final critical steps toward developing CordAdvantage, which utilizes a proprietary process to maximize the volume of hematopoietic stem cells that can be harvested from cord blood found in the placenta immediately following the birth of a baby, perhaps even enough to treat a full grown adult.

“2013 was another fantastic year for our company,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “We are pleased that so many new parents have found us as an affordable option for storing their baby’s stem cells. In 2014 we will continue to be dedicated to delivering the highest quality stem cell collection and storage services at the lowest cost, while we pursue unique and innovative ways to improve the therapeutic utility of stem cells.”

Americord applauds advancement of new stem cell expansion technology

New York – November 5, 2013 – A few weeks ago, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) announced promising results in a new approach to improving the success of cord blood stem cell transplants. In HCSI’s human clinical trial, scientists provided stem cell transplants to 12 patients using cord blood stem cells that had been treated with a molecule known as 16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2 (dmPGE2). The molecule was able to expand the stem cells by about 300-400% and scientists saw evidence that it improved the ability of stem cells to successfully engraft. The study will now enter phase 2, in which the number of patients on whom scientists test the new method will increase to 60. Additional results from the study should be available within 24 months.

The placenta: an alternative source for mesenchymal stem cells

NEW YORK, Oct. 17, 2013 – Private umbilical cord blood and tissue banking leader, Americord, announced today that it has validated a revised process for the preservation of mesenchymal stem cells (“MSCs”) from placenta tissue. The new method greatly improves the success rate for preserving viable MSCs from Placenta Tissue, a service first developed in 2012.

Discovery to Begin in Trademark Opposition Case Brought by Cord Blood Registry Against Americord

New York – September 23, 2013 – Discovery is set to begin on September 25th in a trademark opposition case brought by Cord Blood Registry against rival private cord blood bank Americord Registry. Americord has enjoyed a considerable jump in cord blood sales and market share during 2012, boasting year-over-year revenue growth of over 1,200%. In the case, which was brought before the Trademark Trial And Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Cord Blood Registry filed a claim opposing Americord Registry’s use of the trademark application for CordAdvantage, alleging that it infringes upon Cord Blood Registry’s trademark CellAdvantage. Americord is disputing the trademark opposition.

UPDATE: Americord now offers a $90,000 Cord Blood Quality Guarantee!

New York – August 20, 2013 – Today, more than one year after Americord Registry announced the launch of its $80,000 quality guarantee, the company remains the only one in the cord blood banking industry to offer parents this level of financial protection. Its closest competitors, all of which charge parents-to-be significantly higher fees for cord blood banking, offer parents-to-be significantly lower quality guarantees – generally between $25,000 and $50,000.“Expertise, service, and value are the three pillars that Americord is built upon,” said Americord CEO Martin Smithmyer. “We adhere to the highest scientific standards in the industry, we offer the most comprehensive service, and we give parents-to-be the greatest value in the cord blood industry.” Americord offers cord blood banking for approximately 50% less than its competitors, and Americord’s price includes the cost of a medical courier as well as 20 years of storage in their state-of-the-art CLIA Certified, AABB compliant laboratory.

Scientists Use Stem Cells Found In Umbilical Cord Blood And Cord Tissue

New York,  July 31, 2013 – This month, scientific journals have reported on two more studies that highlight how stem cells found in babies’ umbilical cord blood and cord tissue represent the future of medical treatments for serious diseases and injuries. Nature, The International Weekly Journal of Science, reported that Japanese scientists have successfully engineered rudimentary human livers, or “liver buds”, using three types of stem cells. And, ScienceDaily reported that Spanish scientists have patented a biomaterial that helps create artificial bones using umbilical cord blood stem cells. These developments are among many in an industry that is pioneering stem cell-based therapies for many life threatening and debilitating diseases and injuries, including some that children may be more susceptible to as a result of family medical history.

Responsibly Informing Parents-to-Be Is A Core Company Mission

New York – July 19, 2013 – Americord Registry has made a name for itself as a company that offers the highest quality cord blood banking services at the lowest cost in the industry. The company has also dedicated itself to responsibly raising awareness about the potential benefits of cord blood banking. In fact, Americord approaches every month as though it were National Cord Blood Awareness Month. Their marketing tag line “Cord Blood. Simplified.”, truly captures their mission, which is to make the complex medical aspects of cord blood banking easy to understand and make cord blood banking as simple and affordable as possible.National Cord Blood Awareness Month is a federally promoted program that aims to increase public recognition of the successes of cord blood banking. Cord blood, which is found in the umbilical cord and in the placenta, is an easily accessible source of stem cells that is available only when a baby is born. Stem cells from cord blood have been used in medical therapies for more than 80 diseases and conditions, including leukemia, lymphoma, and certain genetic diseases such as sickle cell anemia.

Americord Will Reimburse the Cost of Cord Blood Banking for Parents who use their Cord Blood Stem Cells Banked with Americord for a Sibling

New York – July 10, 2013 – Americord today announced a new policy to reimburse parents who have banked stem cells from their baby’s cord blood with Americord and use the stem cells for a sibling. The reimbursement will be given to parents when their baby’s cord blood stem cells are used for a sibling in a medical therapy or when the cord blood stem cells are used in a clinical trial as long as a medical professional specifies the use of the cord blood stem cells as medically necessary. Americord created this new policy to make it easier for parents to make the decision to use their baby’s stem cells for a sibling in need. Americord is one of only a few major cord blood banks to offer this kind of policy. Umbilical cord blood, which contains stem cells, can only be collected immediately following the birth of a child. It is a precious source of hematopoietic stem cells. These cells can currently be used in the treatment of over 80 diseases and are being researched for many more uses.

A Newborn’s Own Cord Blood Stem Cells Could Strengthen Heart Muscle

New York – June 24, 2013 – Americord today applauded a new study being conducted by Mayo Clinic to determine whether children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) can be successfully treated with stem cells from their own umbilical cord blood. HLHS is a congenital heart defect where infants are born with a severely underdeveloped left ventricle – essentially half a heart. Mayo Clinic is a non-profit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education that spends over $500 million a year on research and employs nearly 3,800 physicians and scientists.

As Medical Successes Rise, Laws Increase Funding And Promote Public Awareness

New York – June 10, 2013 – As researchers continue to discover groundbreaking medical therapies using stem cells from umbilical cord blood, Federal and State governments in the United States are ramping up their efforts to support the cord blood industry and educate parents-to-be about banking their babies’ stem cells. The most recent development happened on May 16th when the New York State Senate introduced a bill to create a public umbilical cord blood banking program within the New York State Department of Health to promote public awareness of the potential benefits of public cord blood banking.

Attendees Have the Opportunity to Win Free Cord Blood Banking

New York – May 28, 2013 – Americord is pleased to announce that it is a sponsor of Big City Moms’ Biggest Baby Shower Ever event, which will take place on May 30th at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. This is Americord’s fourth time participating in the Biggest Baby Shower Ever. The company has previously attended events in Los Angeles, New York and Florida. The Biggest Baby Shower Ever events are a great place for parents-to-be to interact with leading brands in the baby care industry. Americord will be talking to parents-to-be about the benefits of cord blood banking and the company will once again be raffling off free cord blood banking.

Branding Supports Company’s Commitment To Making Cord Blood Banking More Transparent And Easy To Understand

New York – May 21, 2013 – Americord Registry announced today the launch of its new logo and tagline. Both were designed to better convey the company’s commitment to making cord blood banking easy to understand and even easier to do.The logomark design is a circle with six color bars, each of which has a white dot in it. It was inspired by a diagram of a cell and a display of a genetic map. The new tagline, “Cord Blood. Simplified.”, supports Americord’s effort to make the cord blood banking industry transparent for parents-to-be. The company focuses on providing the simplest explanations of how cord blood banking works and how it might benefit families.

Company Offers Chance to Win Free Cord Blood Banking

New York – May 13, 2013 Americord Registry is pleased to announce that it is attending the New York Baby Show at Pier 92 in New York City May 18th and 19th. The event will feature leading companies in the baby industry that will be showcasing the newest and most exciting products for expecting mothers and newborn babies. The event is an opportunity to engage representatives from companies to get the most accurate and up to date information on new products. It is also an opportunity to hear directly from other parents about products and services that they have experience with. At the event, not only will Americord be raffling off free cord blood banking, but company executives including CEO Martin Smithmyer will be available for a meet and greet with new and expecting parents for the duration to the event.

How you can delay umbilical cord clamping and bank your baby’s cord blood

New York – April 16, 2013 – Americord Registry, a leader in the advancement of umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and placenta tissue banking, today announced continued support for parents that elect to delay cord clamping and bank cord blood. According to Americord there is little impact on the ability to collect cord blood when parents choose to delay the clamping of the umbilical cord. While a growing number of expecting parents have been learning more about the option to delay clamping of their baby’s umbilical cord, many have also been misinformed that they must choose between delayed clamping and cord blood banking.  Both actions provide important value to parents and baby and are not incompatible with one another.

Attendees Have The Opportunity To Win Free Cord Blood Banking

New York – March, 2013 – Americord Registry is pleased to announce that it is a sponsor of Big City Moms’ Biggest Baby Shower Ever event taking place on March 14th at The Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood, California. The event is an opportunity for expectant mothers to see, try and learn about products from dozens of premier companies in the baby care industry. Americord Registry will be there to provide information about the benefits of cord blood banking and will hold a raffle for free cord blood banking.“We are always excited to participate in Big City Moms’ events,” said Randi Goldsmith, Americord Registry’s Vice President of Marketing. “The events are fun and educational, and we enjoy talking directly to moms and dads-to-be about all of the amazing benefits of cord blood banking.”

Company Announces Over 1,200% Revenue Growth

New York – February 25, 2013 – Americord Registry, provider of cord blood and cord tissue banking, is proud to claim the title of fastest growing cord blood bank in the United States. The company’s fiscal year 2012 data shows year-over-year revenue growth of over 1,200 percent. Americord executives attribute the exceptionally high growth rate to its best–in-class quality standards and the success of its robust word-of-mouth marketing strategy. Americord is consistently regarded as the highest quality provider of cord blood banking in the United States. The company offers its clients the industry’s largest guarantee: $90,000. It also has convened one of the most prestigious advisory boards in the industry starting with Americord’s Executive Medical Director, Dr. Robert Dracker. Dr. Dracker helped author the guidelines for NYSDOH policy on cord blood stem cells, is an FDA Pediatrics Advisory Committee member, and is one of the founders of cord blood banking (he conducted the first cord blood transplant in the United States). At the start of 2013, Americord was accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and received the organization’s top rating of ‘A’. Americord also offers some unique benefits to its clients; there is no cancellation fee with Americord, the cost of a medical courier is included, and clients are not billed until their cord blood collection meets strict industry benchmarks for cell count, volume, and condition, and has been stored safely at the company laboratory.

Leading provider of cord blood banking challenges CBR and ViaCord on price

New York – February 8, 2013 – Americord Registry announced that it would match any competitor’s prices for cord blood banking and cord tissue banking. The guarantee is part of numerous efforts the company has underway to simplify cord blood banking for parents interested in keeping their child’s most easily accessible stem cells after birth. The company is committed to providing the highest quality cord blood banking at the most affordable price and wants to make it easier for parents-to-be to make the decision to bank stem cells from their baby’s cord blood. Americord is widely known to offer cord blood banking for approximately 50% less than its competitors, but company executives are aware that the way competitors advertise pricing is confusing and can be misleading. With Americord’s promise to meet any competitor’s price, potential clients can show any competitor’s pricing for cord blood banking and Americord will match it. More than just a guarantee, the price match policy is an example of how Americord looks to provide customer service that simplifies cord blood banking and truly addresses the needs and concerns of parents-to-be who may be overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of information about cord blood banking.Americord’s commitment to simplifying cord blood banking underlies many of their policies. The company’s prices for banking stem cells from cord blood and cord tissue include the cost of the medical courier as well as 20 years of storage in their state-of-the-art CLIA Certified, AABB compliant laboratory, as well as an $90,000 product quality guarantee. Americord’s prices also include a collection kit that contains all of the equipment the mother’s medical practitioner will need to collect the baby’s stem cells as soon as she gives birth. In addition, although clients provide their credit card information to Americord upon enrollment, they are not charged until their baby is born, the cord blood has been collected, and the laboratory has verified that the collection exceeds strict industry benchmarks for cell count, volume, and condition. Finally, Americord does not charge a cancellation fee, even if the cancellation is at the last minute.

Receives Top ‘A’ Rating

February 1, 2013 – Americord Registry, the fastest growing cord blood bank in the United States, announced today that it has been accredited by the internationally respected Better Business Bureau (BBB) with an ‘A’ rating.

The BBB is a nonprofit organization that acts as a resource for consumers who are seeking objective, unbiased information on businesses.

In order to be accredited by the BBB, a company must demonstrate that they adhere to eight principles related to creating and maintaining trust in business. The BBB assigns ratings to companies that have met their standards of accreditation. To assign a rating, the BBB rigorously tests the company’s customer service, its compliance with the law, and its honesty in advertising, among a number of things.

“We are very proud that the Better Business Bureau has accredited Americord an ‘A’ rating,” said Americord Registry CEO Martin Smithmyer. “Storing cord blood has the capability to save lives and we focus relentlessly on providing the highest quality, most reliable service to our customers. This accreditation is a validation of our efforts. We are committed to providing the highest quality cord blood banking services at a reasonable price so that all parents have the option of storing their baby’s cord blood.

New England Journal of Medicine Publishes Paper on Study Done at MD Anderson Cancer Center

New York – January 2013 – The New England Journal of Medicine published a paper last month about a study on a new approach to improving the success of cord blood stem cell transplants. The study was led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the senior author of the paper is Elizabeth Shpall, M.D., a professor in their Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. In the study, stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood were placed in an environment mimicking a patient’s bone marrow to improve the development of the cells prior to implantation. Using mesenchymal precursor cells in the laboratory to further develop the hematopoietic stem cells from cord blood prior to transplant into high-risk patients showed improved transplant results. In a press release, the MD Anderson Cancer Center reported that as a result of their approach, “researchers greatly increased the number of cells transplanted, reduced recovery time and increased the proportion of patients whose new blood became established.”

Americord Registry, an industry-leading cord blood bank, views this study as yet another significant advance in the field of stem cell research. An important limitation in the usefulness of stem cells is the fact that on average, the volume of stem cells that can be collected from umbilical cord is only sufficient to treat a patient up to approximately 65 pounds. Finding ways to expand the volume and effectiveness of cord blood stem cells, as the team at the MD Anderson Cancer Center did, will increase the usefulness of stem cells for a greater number of patients seeking medical treatment.

Cord blood, which is found in the umbilical cord and in the placenta, is an easily accessible source of stem cells that are available when a baby is born. Stem cells found in placental and umbilical cord blood are genetically unique to the baby and family, and can be used to treat various medical problems for the child, his or her siblings, and other family members in the future. Currently, more than 80 diseases are treatable using cord blood stem cells.

Advances in stem cell therapies, such as the one at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, are helping parents-to-be decide that preserving their baby’s stem cells is one way to offer their baby and family options for future medical treatment, should it ever be needed.

UPDATE: Americord now offers a $90,000 Cord Blood Quality Product Guarantee!

Management Predicts that Cord Blood Industry Stalwarts ViaCord and CBR (aka “Cord Blood Registry“) Will Soon Follow SuitNew York, NY (PRWEB) July 16, 2012

After KKR invested $65 million in China Cord Blood in April, investors again began to take notice of this small but rapidly growing industry. One cord blood banking upstart, Americord Registry, meanwhile quietly continues to gain traction and take market share from the leading cord blood companies.

While many cord blood companies suffered during the recession, in part due to recession induced declines in birth rates (see recent NY Times article), Americord quickly gained traction. Management believes that since the beginning of 2011, the company has been growing faster than all of the other companies in the cord blood space, growing at an annual growth rate of over 100%. Its strategy? Spend less on marketing and invest meaningfully in research and development.

According to CEO Martin Smithmyer, “Our competitors, we estimate, have spent approximately 50% of their incoming revenue on sales and marketing expenditures. This is a disservice to their clients, especially during a recession, since it costs pregnant mothers and expecting fathers twice as much, and doesn’t add any value to what the clients are purchasing.” More importantly, however, is Americord’s commitment to quality. “We stand behind our words and back them up with our cord blood quality service guarantee, which we believe to be the best in the industry.”

Americord is continuing to up the ante with the recent launch of its cord tissue banking and with today’s Quality Guarantee announcement. This $80,000 cord blood Quality Guarantee, management believes, is the largest cord blood guarantee ever. If a cord blood client’s stored cord blood is used in a stem cell transplant and fails to engraft, Americord will pay up to $80,000 to defray the cost of the procurement of an alternate stem cell source if medically indicated. Specific conditions may be found on the company’s website.

For more information about Americord Registry, or to speak with Mr. Smithmyer, please email p(at)cordadvantage(dot)com.

NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Americord Registry, a leader in the advancement of cord blood and placenta stem cell preservation, has launched a reimbursement program for parents of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and other acquired neurological conditions, such as perinatal asphyxia or brain damage, caused by oxygen deprivation during birth.

Americord will reimburse the full cost of cord blood processing and storage should it be required by participants in clinical trials such as the trials lead by Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg’s group at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. Kurtzberg, who originally co-authored the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement against private cord blood banking, is now an active advocate of private cord blood banking and is conducting the largest trials using (autologous) cord blood within the same child. The cost of those trials, along with the cost collecting and storing stem cells is often not fully covered by insurance or other third parties.“There have been incredible breakthroughs in the use of stem cells to treat a variety of illnesses, and we believe preliminary research into the use of stem cells to treat cerebral palsy and other acquired neurological disorders represents a new application that could greatly improve the quality of life for those who have these diseases,” said Martin Smithmyer, President and CEO of Americord. “Our mission at Americord is to not only advance the science of collecting and preserving stem cells but to help families access new and emerging stem cell treatments.”

Cerebral palsy describes a group of disorders that are caused by damage to a child’s brain during the early stages of fetal development or during the birth process. While there is no cure for cerebral palsy, doctors at Duke University have been able to help patients with this condition by re-infusing their own cord blood if it was stored at birth, presumably helping to repair brain tissue previously damaged by a lack of oxygen.

“While it is well known that premature babies have a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy, at present there is no national program to encourage expectant mothers in high risk pregnancies to consider banking cord blood,” said Dr. Frances Verter, Founder and Executive Director of the Parents’ Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides free educational materials about cord blood stem cells and cord blood banks to expecting parents.

In addition to the cost of collecting and storing stem cells, there are many expenses associated with participating in experimental medical treatments, such as the clinical trials at Duke, or receiving treatment for cerebral palsy and other brain-related injuries. Families are often responsible for travel, lodging, and medical costs not covered by insurance, which can exceed $10,000 for the three days of treatment.

“Americord was founded in part to reduce the limitations that are inherent to the cord blood banking industry, and cost is a factor for many families,” said Dr. Robert Dracker, Medical Director for Americord. “The reimbursement program gives us an opportunity to help families who most need this assistance while actively participating in the advancement of stem cell research.”

Stem cells have proven effective in treating more than 75 illnesses, including leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia, with more uses being developed at a rapid pace.

“As more stem cell therapies become available, cord blood banking will become increasingly important,” Dr. Dracker added. “Americord is leading the advancement of new collection methods that may preserve up to 10 times more stem cells than traditional methods, providing more treatment options to a greater number of patients than was previously possible.”

NEW YORK– September 8, 2011 – Americord Registry, a leader in the advancement of cord blood and placenta stem cell preservation, announced today that Dr. Robert Dracker, Americord’s Executive Medical Director, will present an abstract on a revolutionary cord blood collection method at the COSTEM Congress September 8-11, at Andel’s Hotel in Berlin, Germany and at the AABB Annual Meeting, October 22-25, at the San Diego Convention Center.

Dr. Dracker is a leading hematologist, transfusion medicine specialist and experienced blood and stem cell banking expert. His poster, “A Novel Method for the Collection and Processing of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Human Umbilical Cord Blood and Stabilized Placental,” will be made available at the poster session.

“This unique cord blood collection method makes it possible to preserve stem cells from a newborn’s umbilical cord blood and the placenta, preserving more stem cells than traditional cord blood collection alone,” Dr. Dracker said. “This development addresses the most significant limitation of traditional cord blood banking: the fact that it only preserves enough stem cells to treat patients who weigh up to 65 pounds on average.”

This procedure, which will be employed by Americord for its cord blood and placenta banking services, is an advancement of an existing commercial technique that will make it possible to bank more stem cells than traditional cord blood collection alone. This advancement supports Americord’s mission to reduce the limitations that are inherent to the cord blood banking industry.

“We are pleased to be able to present our findings at the COSTEM and AABB conferences and advance our efforts to preserve newborn stem cells for future medical treatment. This breakthrough method will provide more treatment options to a greater variety of patients than ever before at a time when new uses for cord blood are advancing at a rapid pace,” said Americord President and CEO Martin Smithmyer.

COSTEM is an exclusive forum for international experts to share and compare experiences in order to outline the right treatment for patients. Topics include relapse prevention and treatment, donor selection and cell and gene therapy. The Congress is unique in its explicit focus on resolving controversies in the best clinical care of patients.

The AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) is an international, not-for-profit association representing individuals and institutions involved in the field of transfusion medicine and cellular therapies, offering standards, accreditation and educational programs for patients and donors, and provides the most prestigious accreditation for U.S. cord blood banks. Its membership consists of approximately 2,000 institutions and 8,000 individuals, including physicians, nurses, scientists, researchers, administrators, medical technologists and other health care providers.

For more information about Americord Registry, or to speak with Mr. Smithmyer or Dr. Dracker, please contact Dana Taormina at 973-850-7305 or [email protected].

Appointment Reflects Americord’s Ongoing Advancement of Research in the Preservation of Cord Blood and Placenta Stem Cells.

NEW YORK– September 6, 2011 – Americord Registry, a leader in the advancement of cord blood and placenta stem cell preservation, has announced the expansion of its Medical Advisory Board with the appointment of Dr. Eric Adler, who previously served as Interim Medical Director for the company. Dr. Adler will assist with operations related to induced pluripotent stem cell (or iPS stem cells) preservation, which have the benefits of embryonic stem cells but are derived from a variety of tissue types and do not require the destruction of embryos.

“Dr. Adler’s research is at the cutting edge of the stem cell field and we are thrilled that he has joined Americord to help us advance the means by which stem cells can be preserved for future medical treatment,” said Americord Registry President and CEO Martin Smithmyer. “His work opens up new avenues for us to explore and enables us to stay abreast of the most current research, which is consistently and increasingly finding new therapeutic uses for stem cells.”

Dr. Adler’s research is funded by the National Institute of Health and the American College of Cardiology and has focused on the use of pluripotent stem cells for the study and treatment of cardiovascular disease. His research has been featured in publications in the world’s top scientific journals, including the June 2010 cover of Nature. He is currently Medical Director of Cardiac Transplantation and Associate Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Diego. Previously, Dr. Adler was a cardiologist and stem cell researcher at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Dr. Adler is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he received his B.A. in English, and Boston University, where he received his Doctorate of Medicine.

“Researchers are getting closer every day to developing groundbreaking treatments using pluripotent stem cells. Preserving stem cells that are genetically closely matched to the patient will become critically important to address the real challenge of transplant rejection,” Dr. Adler said. “Americord intends to be at the forefront of the collection and preservation of stem cells that can substantially minimize transplant rejection and improve survival rates and we are one of the few cord blood banks dedicating resources towards this research.”

Americord to Donate Cord Blood Stem Cell Collection and Storage to a Family in Need for Every New Client Registered During April and May

NEW YORK – April 14, 2011 – Americord Registry, a pioneer in umbilical cord blood and placenta stem cell preservation, today announced a new program to assist families in need. Through the “Bank One, Give One” program, Americord will donate cord blood stem cell collection and storage services to select underprivileged families in the New York area for every new client who enrolls in Americord’s cord blood banking program during April and May 2011.

“Stem cells found in the placenta and umbilical cord blood can be used to treat more than 75 blood-related diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anemia,” said Martin Smithmyer, President and CEO of Americord. “Furthermore, cord blood stem cells are a perfect genetic match for the baby, have a 50% chance of being a match for a sibling and may also be a match for a parent. However, collecting and storing cord blood can be a significant investment for some expectant parents, and public banks aren’t always the best option for underprivileged families with high risk pregnancies. We started Bank One, Give One to benefit families in need and to provide them with greater access to life-saving treatments by eliminating the costs associated with cord blood banking and those associate with finding a matching transplant.”

This program is significant since the only alternative for many families is to donate their cord blood to a public bank such as the New York Blood Center. Families might not easily be able to access these donations, however. According to Transfusion, the AABB’s scholarly, peer-reviewed journal, as many as 71% of donations may be rejected by public banks based on family medical history, maternal medical history, collection volume, and examination of the maternal blood sample. Even if the cord blood is available, a public bank typically charges a fee, estimated at $25,000 to $35,000, when releasing cord blood to the patient in need, which may not be covered by health insurance, if the family even has insurance.

Americord has reached out to and partnered with major obstetrics groups and hospitals in the New York City area asking them to refer families in need to this program. Hospitals are encouraged to refer expectant parents who demonstrate economic hardship and who have a close relative with a disease that can be treated with a cord blood stem cell transplant. Americord will waive the one-time cord blood collection and processing fee and provide free storage for 10 years for each in-need family for every new client who enrolls in Americord’s cord blood banking program.

“Americord was founded in part to reduce the limitations that are inherent to the cord blood banking industry, and cost is a barrier for many families,” Mr. Smithmyer said. “We are honored to offer this program and hope that our new clients will join us in making these potentially life-saving treatments available for those who need them the most.”

License Paves the Way for Americord to Offer Cord Blood Banking Across the Country

NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Americord Registry, a pioneer in cord blood and placenta stem cell preservation, is proud to announce that it has obtained a provisional human tissue cord blood banking license from the New York State Department of Health, becoming the first private umbilical cord blood bank headquartered in New York City with the authority to collect umbilical cord blood in the state of New York.“The New York State licensing requirements are very rigorous and the license is one of the most difficult accreditations to earn. Only the highest quality cord blood banks, such as The New York Blood Center, which operates the oldest and largest public cord blood bank, are able to meet these very strict requirements,” said Martin Smithmyer, President and CEO of Americord.Most states only require that cord blood banking organizations register their in-state laboratories. New York, on the other hand, licenses the organizations themselves, and requires them to follow meticulous protocols before their labs can collect cord blood. With this license, Americord is currently is able to accept cord blood from nearly all 50 states, as well as many international locations.