StemCyte Renews Contract with the California Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program

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May 13, 2022, 08:20 ET

BALDWIN PARK, Calif., May 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California cord blood regenerative therapeutics company StemCyte has renewed their agreement with the California Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program (CA-UCBCP). StemCyte, in close partnership with the collection program administrators at UC Davis Health, has increased collections at Southern California hospitals by adding evening shifts at current sites to extend the hours for cord blood collections.

Prioritizing areas with high ethnic diversity may ensure better genetic matches for transplant recipients in underrepresented communities. To that end, StemCyte has successfully banked thousands of cord blood units from Latino, Asian and African American communities. Since 2013, 83% of transplant units through the CA-UCBCP have been provided by StemCyte. The renewed contract increases funding to support collection goals to expand public access at designated hospital locations. The goal is to add even more diverse cord blood units to the National Registry so that people of any race or ethnicity can find an appropriately matched cord blood unit.

"We are pleased to be able to offer expectant moms and their families the opportunity to donate their baby's cord blood to help save a life," said StemCyte CEO Tong-Young Lee, Ph.D. "This renewed partnership with the CA-UCBCP strengthens cord blood collections so we can continue our mission to advance racial diversity in cord blood donations and help families face and fight life-threatening health conditions."

Since the first successful use of umbilical cord blood to treat a Fanconi Anemia patient in 1988, there have been more than 40,000 successful umbilical cord blood transplants worldwide for the treatment of diseases of the hematopoietic and immune systems as well as inborn metabolic diseases. In the past 20 years, StemCyte has provided more than 2,200 cord blood units for transplantation to 1 in 20 patients worldwide who receive umbilical cord blood transplants. StemCyte's products consistently meet the quality standards of international accrediting bodies and are recognized and trusted as safe and effective by at least 350 transplant centers around the world.

In January 2022, StemCyte submitted its Biologics License Application for HPC, Cord Blood to FDA for quality review. HPC, Cord Blood is an umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell product intended for unrelated donor hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation procedures in conjunction with an appropriate preparative regimen for hematopoietic and immunologic reconstitution in patients with disorders affecting the hematopoietic system.

StemCyte is a regenerative cell therapy company that is developing cell therapy pipeline products as well as providing both public and private umbilical cord blood banking services. In addition to the U.S. FDA approved Phase II multi-national and multi-center human clinical trial for its investigational spinal cord injury treatment, the cell therapy product lines also include several other human clinical trials in progress outside the U.S. for treatment of acute ischemic stroke, chronic stroke, and cerebral palsy. StemCyte considers umbilical cord blood banking its core competence, while actively pursuing new regenerative cell therapy indications.

For families interested in learning their options for cord blood banking, please visit stemcyte.com.

SOURCE StemCyte