Cells for Life, Canada’s cord blood expert since 1997, recently announced it has been acquired by Generate Life Sciences (Generate), along with parent company Cell Care Australia.* Generate operates Cord Blood Registry (CBR), North America’s largest cord blood bank and one of the world’s preeminent stem cell R&D organizations. The Cell Care group (which comprises Cells for Life, Insception Lifebank and Victoria Angel public bank in Canada and Cell Care in Australia) joins CBR to create a unique, international scientific collaboration to further newborn stem cell and regenerative medicine research. As a result of the acquisition, the Cells for Life group will, in addition to cord blood and tissue banking, provide Canadian families with greater access to reproductive and genetic services to grow and protect families from pre-conception into adulthood.
“We envisioned a truly international platform from which to offer our reproductive, genetic and stem cell services when we established Generate Life Sciences,” commented Richard Jennings, CEO of Generate. “We are excited to include [the Cells for Life group] in our global network of leading stem cell companies. This international collaboration provides an opportunity to utilize our collective strengths to advance the use of newborn stem cells in future therapies.”
“Generate Life Sciences is certainly the best partner for Cell Care given their industry and scientific leadership,” says Brent Dennison, CEO of Cell Care and Cells for Life. “The great benefit to Cell Care and its customers will be our collaboration with Generate’s scientific team who are driving exciting developments in therapeutic applications using newborn stem cells.” Mr. Dennison noted that clients and healthcare professionals will continue working with Cells for Life’s Canadian team. Cells for Life processes and stores newborn stem cells at its state-of-the-art facility near Toronto.
“Newborn stem cells have unique properties that make them a preferred biological source for an increasing number of conditions,” said Jaime Shamonki, MD, Generate’s Chief Medical Officer. “Cell Care and CBR have conducted numerous clinical trials investigating the uses for cord blood and tissue derived-cells. Now, with the Cell Care group joining the largest newborn stem cell bank in the United States, we have created a global infrastructure for researching and manufacturing newborn stem cells to power this rapidly expanding category of therapies.”
Stem cells derived from the umbilical cord have emerging uses in regenerative medicine given their anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, and tissue reparative properties. The Cells Care group and Generate research and develop cord blood and tissue-derived cellular therapies through partnerships with leading academic institutions and biotech firms. Most recently, Cell Care helped establish a cord blood trial for preterm babies at risk of neurological damage and Generate has established a biorepository to facilitate investigational studies in both acute and persistent COVID-19 using newborn stem cells through their extensive network of research partners.
About Generate Life Sciences
Generate Life Sciences™ Inc. is a life sciences company helping to grow and protect families through reproductive, newborn stem cell, genetic screening, medical device, and healthcare technology services. We serve families from preconception to post-birth. Our brands — CBR® (Cord Blood Registry®), California Cryobank™®, Donor Egg Bank USA™, NW Cryobank™®, ReadyGen™®, Kitazato USA™®, and Donor Application™ — are pioneering leaders that have helped nearly one million families. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Generate operates facilities in Tucson, New York, Boston, Palo Alto, and Rockville, MD. Generate is a portfolio company of GI Partners, a private investment firm based in San Francisco.
About the Cells for Life/Cell Care group
The Cells for Life/Cell Care group comprises Cell Care in Australia and Cells for Life, Insception Lifebank, and the Victoria Angel public bank in Canada. The combined group is one of the world’s top 10 companies in the sector with over 200,000 cord blood and tissue samples stored. The group has invested in clinical trials investigating the impact of cord blood in type-1 diabetes and cerebral palsy, and has supported research into stem cell expansion technologies for a number of years. Prior to the acquisition, Cell Care was a portfolio company of CPE Capital, a private investment firm based in Sydney. Visit www.cellcare.com.au for more information.