New service available – Placenta banking

FamiCord Group is excited to announce the international roll-out of this innovative service to new markets. In 2024, placenta banking will be launched in Poland and Romania, in addition to Switzerland, Bulgaria, and the UAE where it is available during pilot phase. Over the coming years, the service will expand to other markets within the Group, offering families the opportunity to preserve the unique regenerative properties of placenta tissue for future medical use.

Cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells, which have been used in medicine since 1988. Due to EBMT Guidelines, they are applied to treat over 80 haematological, oncological, and metabolic diseases. The costs of these therapies are reimbursed. Placenta, on the other hand, contains non-hematopoietic (tissue) stem cells, which  are soured to produce ATMP’s- advanced medicinal products, which are used in medical therapeutic experiments to treat conditions such as cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and cartilage damage. The use of tissue stem cells is available to the entire family, with no need to check tissue compatibility between the donor and the recipient.

“We are constantly striving to translate the latest scientific achievements into tangible benefits for our clients, and the introduction of placenta banking for our customers is a perfect example of this commitment,” said Tomasz Baran, MD, Vice  President of FamiCord Group. “The service was first available for clients in Switzerland and Bulgaria, recently we did tech transfer from our Swiss lab and now it will be available much broadly – starting from in Poland and Romania. In 2025 we will continue to other markets – Italy, Austria, Germany and Latvia will follow” he added.

The effectiveness of placenta-derived MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) has been demonstrated in animal models for a variety of indications, such as myocardial infarction, type 1 diabetes, acute kidney injury, acute liver injury, liver cirrhosis, liver fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, ischemic stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury, and bone damage due to metastatic cancer. Clinical trials are currently underway to investigate the use of placenta-derived MSCs for various indications, including graft-versus-host disease, ischemic stroke, osteoarthritis, Crohn’s disease, and erectile dysfunction.

Why baningbanking a placenta stem cells is a good choice? Banking both perinatal tissues—umbilical cord and placenta, which are rich sources of MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells)—makes profound sense. First, by maximizing the number of cells, we ensure a higher yield of MSCs after fewer cell divisions. This approach provides several key benefits such as:

• We obtain a larger dose, which is essential for patients with a higher body mass.
• With a higher-quality product, we achieve a better expected therapeutic outcome.
• We reduce the cultivation time, which is particularly critical for treating acute conditions.

Second, this approach gives the flexibility to differentiate the type of cells used, depending on the therapeutic goals. This means that, based on the specific medical indication, the physician can choose MSCs from the optimal source, ensuring the most effective treatment for the patient.

The introduction of new products and services is made possible because FamiCord Group is not just a bank, but also a modern biotechnology company with three dedicated R&D centres in Canthanhiede (Portugal), Warsaw (Poland), and Leipzig (Germany), where we drive continuous innovation and advancements in the field of cell therapy. FamiCord. More than a stem cell bank.