RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.—ThermoGenesis Corp., a company that provides products and technologies for the processing and storage of stem cells and other biological tissues, has entered into a long term agreement to provide its AXP® AutoXpress System® (AXP) to Bebevida, a leading cord blood stem cell bank in Portugal. The AXP System is a proprietary family of automated devices with companion sterile blood processing disposables for harvesting cord blood stem cells in closed systems.
"Bebevida is a leading cord blood bank that offers cryo-preservation services of both umbilical cord blood stem cells and umbilical cord tissue of newborns for family purposes in Portugal," said Matthew Plavan, chief executive officer of ThermoGenesis. "This is an important win for us, having replaced yet another competitor's automated cell processing system installation, further increasing our footprint in Europe. We expect to begin the AXP conversion in February 2014," he continued.
"We have conducted an extensive evaluation of the AXP which verified that ThermoGenesis' platform yields higher stem cell recoveries and lower and more desirable hematocrit levels than our existing product platform. We are pleased to partner with ThermoGenesis and look forward to implementing the AXP System," said Silvia Martins, chief executive officer of Bebevida. "We have invested more than three million euros in a new state-of-the-art laboratory to establish a leading position in Portugal's cord blood market and believe the performance of the AXP will enable us to further our growth objectives," she added.
Plavan also said, "We are committed to expanding our presence in Europe, so it is important to have valued partners like Bebevida committed to the AXP System. We believe this is a testament not just to our technology, but to our customer-centric approach incorporating marketing, service and support for our cord blood products."
ThermoGenesis Corp. develops and manufactures automated blood processing systems and disposable products that enable the processing and preservation of cell and tissue concentrates. The company’s products include the BioArchive® System, an automated cryogenic device used by cord blood stem cell banks in more than 30 countries for cryo-preserving and archiving cord blood stem cell units for transplant; the AXP AutoXpress Platform (AXP), a proprietary family of automated devices that includes the AXP and the MXP® MarrowXpress® and companion sterile blood processing disposables for harvesting stem cells in closed systems. The AXP device is used for the processing of cord blood. The MXP is used for the preparation of cell concentrates, including stem cells from bone marrow aspirates in the laboratory setting. Finally, the company also provides the Res-Q™ 60 BMC/PRP (Res-Q), a point-of-care system designed for the preparation of cell concentrates, including stem cells, from bone marrow aspirates and whole blood for platelet rich plasma (PRP).
In July 2013, ThermoGenesis announced its planned merger with TotipotentRx Corporation, a privately held California corporation which specializes in developing cell-based therapies in the field of regenerative medicine and is the exclusive provider of cell-based products and services to the Fortis Healthcare System. According to the press release, “The combined company is expected to become one of the first fully integrated regenerative medicine companies, developing clinically validated, commercially scalable, point-of-care cell therapies for major therapeutic markets, including orthopedic, cardiovascular and neurologic indications.” The new entity was to be renamed Cesca, but a call to ThermoGenesis asking for clarification on that matter was not returned.
Source: ThermoGenesis Corp.
