CBR

About CBR

Cord Blood Registry (CBR) operates as a private bank for newborn stem cells, focusing on the collection and cryopreservation of both umbilical cord blood and cord tissue for its clients. Founded in February 1995 by Tom Moore, the company was established through a partnership with Dr. David Harris and the University of Arizona's lab, which had been instrumental in the early days of cord blood banking. CBR's business model is centered on a direct-to-consumer approach, serving expecting parents who choose to privately bank their newborn's stem cells for potential future medical use by the child or compatible family members.

Revenue is generated through initial processing fees and recurring annual storage fees. For example, cord blood processing, which includes testing and the first year of storage, is priced around $1,675, with an subsequent annual storage fee of $175. The company's core service involves providing families with a collection kit to be used at the time of birth. The collected cord blood, a source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), and cord tissue, a source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are then transported to CBR's facility in Tucson, Arizona, for processing and long-term storage. These cells can be used in the treatment of over 80 medical conditions, primarily blood and immune system disorders.

A significant aspect of CBR's strategy is its investment in the future applications of stored stem cells. The company actively partners with research institutions to facilitate FDA-regulated clinical trials, giving its client families potential access to emerging therapies for conditions like autism, cerebral palsy, and acquired hearing loss. Notably, a high percentage of stem cell units released by CBR have been for use in experimental regenerative medicine applications. CBR also provides resources such as the Family Health Registry to connect client families with relevant clinical trials. Over its history, CBR has undergone several ownership changes, including acquisitions by AMAG Pharmaceuticals in 2015 for $700 million and later by private equity firm GI Partners in 2018, which merged it with California Cryobank. It now operates under the umbrella of Generate Life Sciences, which was subsequently acquired by CooperCompanies.