Cryo-Save India Receives the AABB Accreditation

ZUTPHEN, The Netherlands, January 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Cryo-Save India adds another stone to its stem cell banking service by receiving the prestigious AABB accreditation

In a country lacking stringent regulations to govern the audit checks on the authenticity and reliability of the processing and storage of stem cells, Cryo-Save India, subsidiary of Europe's leading family stem cell bank, has proved its quality assurance by receiving the prestigious AABB accreditation.

The American Association of Blood Banks ("AABB") accreditation follows an intensive onsite assessment by specially trained AABB assessors and establishes that the level of technical and administrative performance within the facility meets or exceeds the standards set by AABB. It qualifies the viability of the sample processed and stored at the Cryo-Save lab to be successfully used in a transplant any time in the future.

The AABB's accreditation procedures are voluntary. Rajesh Sharma, Managing Director, Cryo-Save India said, "We are extremely pleased to have been granted this accreditation. With this, Cryo-Save India has once again demonstrated superior capabilities in the stem cell banking space and we will continue to deliver on our ongoing commitment to the highest quality standards, thereby providing the best of services to our customers".

Arnoud van Tulder, CEO, Cryo-Save Group said, "As a group, we are thrilled to have received the AABB certification in India. I strongly believe that this accreditation will help rid the Indian stem cell industry of speculations that cloud it and will infuse much needed confidence in the market."

Marc Waeterschoot, QP and Co-founder, Cryo-Save Group said, "Obtaining this accreditation has lend further credibility to standards that we adhere to in terms of collection, processing and storage of the stem cells, which are at par with international standards. I am sure we have more to offer as we grow in the coming years."

AABB is an international non-profit body dedicated to developing the highest standards in blood and cord blood banking, transfusion medicine and cellular therapy. AABB accreditation contributes to the quality and safety of collection, processing, testing, distributing and administering blood and cellular therapy products and storage. The accreditation program assesses the quality and operational systems in place within the storage facility and ensures compliance with AABB Standards, Code of Federal Regulations and Federal guidance documents.

The AABB Accreditation Program has been recognized by the International Society for Quality in Health care (ISQua).

Cryo-Save India, a 100% subsidiary of Cryo Save Group N.V which is Europe's largest adult stem cell storage bank, is headquartered in Bangalore with a state-of-the art fully automated adult stem-cell storage facility.

Cryo-Save, the leading international family stem cell bank, stores more than 200,000 samples from umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and adipose tissue. There are already many diseases treatable by the use of stem cells, and the number of treatments will only increase. Driven by its international business strategy, Cryo-Save is now represented in over 40 countries on four continents, with ultra-modern processing and storage facilities in the United States, Belgium, Germany, Dubai, India, South Africa and France (validation in progress).