Cordlife is Now in Bangladesh

SINGAPORE:  Cordlife Group Limited (“Cordlife”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), announced that its majority-owned subsidiary Cordlife Sciences (India) Pvt. Ltd. (“Cordlife India”) has appointed Cordcell Bangladesh Ltd (“Cordcell”) as their marketing agent in Bangladesh, further expanding the Group’s presence in Asia to a total of 10 countries. This move allows the Group to capture surging demand for quality healthcare in one of the world’s next great growth markets due to the rise of a progressive Middle and Affluent Class (“MAC”).

Strategically positioned between India and China, Bangladesh has more than 3 million live births each year. A 2015 report from the Boston Consulting Group (“BCG”) suggests that the population of MAC was at 7% of the total population in Bangladesh in 2015 and the size of MAC population was growing rapidly at about 10% per annum.[1] If Bangladesh were to perform according to this estimate, its MAC population is expected to have reached 10% of the total population this year, which puts its potential addressable market size for Cordlife at around 300,000 live births a year. This addressable market size is at least seven times larger than the total live births in Singapore.

“Bangladesh, as one of the five fastest-growing economies of the world and dubbed the next Asian tiger by the World Economic Forum as well as the Economist, offers a huge growth prospect for Cordlife,” said Ms Tan Poh Lan, Cordlife’s Group CEO and Executive Director.[2] 

CEO of Cordlife India, Mr Upamannyue Roy Choudhury said, “We are excited to develop this market as well as to address the growing and unmet need for holistic, affordable and measurable healthcare by providing high-quality services.”

References: 
[1] Bangladesh: Middle class growth helping to drive demand for study abroad. ICEF Monitor Website. https://monitor.icef.com/2017/02/bangladesh-middle-class-growth-helping-to-drive-demand-for-study-abroad/. Accessed on 2 August 2019.
[2] There could be a new 'Asian Tiger'. Here's why. World Economic Forum Website. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/04/bangladesh-could-be-a-new-asian-tiger-heres-why Accessed on 2 August 2019.
[2] Tiger in the night. The Economist Website. https://www.economist.com/asia/2016/10/15/tiger-in-the-night Accessed on 2 August 2019.

CORDLIFE IN SPOTLIGHT

INDUSTRY NEWS

Your Child's Cord Blood May Help Your Family Member Recover Faster from Stroke

SINGAPORE: Allogeneic (obtained from a donor) cord blood infusion is safe and seemed to significantly improve functional outcomes in adult stroke patients by the third month after infusion, relative to baseline. This were the findings of a phase 1 clinical trial published in May last year by a group of researchers at Duke University.

In the trial, ten stroke patients received a single infusion of allogeneic cord blood 3-9 days post-stroke. The cord blood units were matched for blood group and race but not for human leukocyte antigen (HLA), a common gauge used to match patients and donors for bone marrow or cord blood transplants today. Encouraged by the positive outcome of its phase 1 trial, Duke University is now collaborating with The Marcus Foundation, Emory University and M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre to run a multi-centre phase 2 clinical trial aimed at determining the efficacy of a single infusion of unrelated cord blood in 100 patients between 18 and 90 years of age for the treatment of stroke.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide.[1] Though it is still premature to draw a conclusion from Duke's trial, should cord blood be proven useful for the treatment of stroke, families that have stored their child's cord blood will have more medical options available to them. 

[1] Johnson W, Onuma O, Owolabi M, Sachdev S. Stroke: a global response is needed. World Health Organization.website https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/94/9/16-181636/en/. Last assessed 3 October 2019. (Read more: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6052613/) .
Image retrieved on 8 October 2019, https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/research-allogeneic-cord-blood-stroke

DID YOU KNOW?

Although families that did not store their child's cord blood at birth have the option to obtain a cord blood unit from public registries, the cord blood unit does not come cheap and can be as high as US$40,000.

Cord blood must be collected at birth. If you know of anyone who is expecting a baby now, encourage them to get more information about family cord blood banking so that they can make an informed decision before the arrival of their baby.

REAL STORIES
AROUND THE WORLD

Boy with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia Saved by Sibling’s Cord Blood

MALAYSIA: In August 2016, 10-year-old Lucas^, the eldest among his three other siblings, suddenly fell into a state where he constantly felt lethargic and had poor appetite for no apparent reason. He also experienced significant weight loss, with bouts of fever and vomiting over the next three consecutive weeks. Lucas’s persistent condition was alarming and he was advised by his family physician to go to a hospital for treatment.

Lucas’s condition did not improve even after seeking treatment at different hospitals. Finally after enduring numerous blood draws for a myriad of blood tests at the hospitals, Lucas was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. "When we found out Lucas has chronic myeloid leukemia, we were crushed," said Lucas’s father.

Footnote: 
The above accreditation and certifications were attained by the Cordlife Group Limited and its subsidiaries. Cordlife Singapore and HealthBaby Hong Kong are FACT-NETCORD accredited. Cordlife Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, India, StemLife Malaysia and HealthBaby Hong Kong are AABB-accredited. Cordlife India and Hong Kong, and Cordlife Hong Kong are CAP-accredited.