Cord Blood Transplants Now Get Even Better With The Recent FDA Nod To Gamida Cell's Omisirge®

  Indian patients will benefit even more, thanks to LifeCell's Community Bank Registry

CHENNAI, India, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stem cells are taking the pharmaceutical world by storm, and how. It is indeed a time to celebrate for all the stem cell enthusiasts out there. On 17th April 2023, Gamida Cell Ltd., a company pioneering in cell therapy, got approval from the U.S Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for their allogeneic cell therapy - Omisirge® (formerly known as Omidubicel, and before that as NiCord).

This stem cell therapy, a first of its kind comprises stem cells from the umbilical cord blood of newborns at birth wherein instead of being frozen as such, they are actually grown in the lab to increase their count multi-fold (>20x), thereby providing enough cells for transplant that lead to better outcomes.

Specifically the treatment with Omisirge® in adults as well as pediatric patients (12 years and older) diagnosed with hematological cancers was observed to help with the following:

• Faster engraftment of neutrophils (a type of white blood cells): Omisirge® engrafts significantly faster than bone marrow and standard cord blood units - 12 days when compared to 15-17 days when bone marrow is used and 22 days when standard cord blood is used.
• Lesser time in hospital: Faster engraftment ensures that the patient has to spend less time at hospital.
• Reduced risk of infection: Lower incidence of microbial infections (39%) when compared to standard cord blood (60%).
• Broader reach: As more than 98% of the patients in the study had only a partial match, which means that it could be used even by those patients who do not find a perfect stem cell match.

On this positive note, Mayur Abhaya, Managing Director and CEO, LifeCell International, congratulates the team at Gamida Cell Ltd. for this landmark achievement! Adding on, he says "this development has undoubtedly increased the use of cord blood stem cells, especially for patients of Indian origin who struggle to find a matched unit due to the limited number of listed donors. Expanded cord blood stem cells have been observed to help with faster recovery post-transplantation, reduced risk of infection, lesser time in hospital, and could be used by even those patients who do not find a perfect stem cell match."

A Quick Glance At LifeCell's Community Cord Blood Banking Program

For starters, LifeCell is an Indian company which provides cord blood banking service to all the expectant parents interested in storing their child's cord blood at birth. Under LifeCell's Community Stem Cell Banking Program, you can bank your baby's cord blood-derived stem cells at birth as a proactive step towards ensuring your little one a lifetime of health.

The program offers benefits like:

• Access to a cord blood registry with 60,000+ stored units
• More than 97% chance of finding a match
• Unlimited retrieval of the stored stem cell units
• Financial assistance of up to Rs 20 Lakhs for transplant
• Extension of all these benefits to the baby's siblings, parents, and grandparents (both maternal and paternal)

If you would like to know more about LifeCell's Community Stem Cell Banking Program, you may call us at 1800 266 55 33, or click here. hyperlink

LifeCell International, founded in 2004 in Chennai, is India's premier healthcare services provider, leveraging advanced technologies such as stem cells & genomics towards addressing the country's current & future health needs.

LifeCell's Community Banking Program offers the world's largest repository of ready-to-use access to over 70,000+ matching stem cell units for Indian origin patients seeking a transplant. Its facilities are AABB, NABL & CAP accredited.

In addition, LifeCell offers cell and tissue-based biologics for various conditions, including advanced wound care, surgical recovery, regenerative medicine, & more. Its manufacturing facilities are authorized by DCGI and AATB accredited, ensuring the highest quality & safety standards.

It also provides special health investigations for patients seeking discreet self-service offerings from the comfort of their homes through mail-order test kits that cover a range of conditions, including fertility, sexual & general health.

Committed to improving health outcomes by providing preventive & definitive diagnoses, LifeCell is working relentlessly to help every child & family live their healthiest lives.