Cord Blood Registry (CBR)

Cord Blood Registry (CBR) is a private bank offering the collection and long-term storage of both cord blood and cord tissue. With over 1 million stored stem cell units, CBR is one of the largest cord blood banks.

CBR’s History and Ownership

  • 1992: Dr. David Harris of the University of Arizona School of Medicine helped establish the first cord blood banking program with sponsorship from the American Cancer Society. Here, he collected, processed, and stored the first umbilical cord blood stem cells–those of his own son–for storage at Cryo-Cell International.
  • 1995: Tom Moore incorporated Cord Blood Registry in the state of California. CBR Systems, Inc., partnered with Dr. Harris’ University of Arizona lab for the processing and storage of cord blood.
  • 2012–Present:  CBR has undergone several ownership changes involving private equity firms and pharmaceutical companies:
    • September 2012: Acquired by the private equity firm GTCR.
    • August 2015: GTCR sold CBR to AMAG Pharmaceuticals.
    • June 2018: AMAG Pharmaceuticals sold CBR to Generate Life | Partners, another private equity firm that simultaneously acquired California Cryobank.  CBR was then merged with California Cryobank’s FamilyCord brand under the Cord Blood Registry name.
    • 2021: Generate Life Sciences, the parent company, was acquired by CooperSurgical, a subsidiary of the publicly traded Cooper Companies.

Fast Facts

  • Storage Volume: CBR has over 1 million stem cell units in storage, making it one of the largest private banks.
  • Clinical Use: More than 700 families who banked with CBR have used their stem cells in treatment.
  • Research Participation: CBR has sponsored a clinical trial on acquired hearing loss. Additionally, its clients have participated in several FDA-regulated clinical trials.
  • Client Base: Through its merger with FamilyCord, former clients of CorCell and LifeLine Cryogenics are now clients of Cord Blood Registry and included in CBR storage volume.
  • International Reach: The merger with FamilyCord also expanded CBR’s presence in South American markets.

Collection, Processing, and Storage

Collection and Transport

CBR uses CPD (citrate phosphate dextrose), a standard anticoagulant, in its collection bag. CBR’s collection kit is designed to offer 1 hour of temperature protection from extreme hot and cold. A courier service is used to expedite the transport of the collected unit to the lab.

Stem Cell Processing Technology

CBR adopted the AutoExpress (AXP) automated processing method in 2006.

  • Benefits: The AXP method is designed to reduce the chance of human error and provide consistent results in the reduction of certain blood components.
  • Industry Context: CBR is the only private cord blood bank to have adopted the AXP. When initially introduced, CBR reported that AXP recovered a median of 99% of a collection’s mononuclear cells (MNCs). However, an independent, third-party study,reported that AXP recovered 76% of stem cells.

Storage Bag 

CBR cryopreserves cord blood in a two-chamber bag. Many banks in the industry are now using the five-chamber bag to allow for potential future use in multiple treatment options, as the unit can be thawed in smaller, incremental doses.

Pricing

Advertised prices are subject to change and may not reflect current promotional offers or discounts. Annual storage fees are not fixed and subject to change.

  • Cord blood processing (testing and first year of storage included) — $1710
    • Annual cord blood storage fee — $210
  • Cord blood and tissue processing (testing and first year of storage included) — $3215
    • Annual cord blood and tissue storage fee – $420
  • 18-year prepaid long-term storage plan — $4495

Licensure and Accreditations

CBR maintains compliance with key regulations and industry standards.

  • FDA-registered
  • AABB-accredited
  • cGMP- and cGTP-compliant
  • State Licensure: CBR holds specific licenses required by states of California, Maryland, New Jersey and New York to operate within those jurisdictions.

Contact Information

Company Address:
1200 Bayhill Drive, 3rd Floor
San Bruno, CA 94066
United States

Phone Numbers:
888-CORDBLOOD
Office: 650–635–1420

Email:
services_questions@cordblood.com
treatment_questions@cordblood.com