WASHINGTON, May 2, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cryo-Cell International, Inc. (OTCBB:CCEL) (the "Company"), one of the world's largest and most established family cord blood banks and global stem cell innovators, today announced its plans at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) annual meeting to launch an advanced new service named U-Cord Plus®, along with an exclusive family healthcare protection plan named P³ Protect Baby, Protect Mom, Protect Family®. The Company's new services are designed to provide expectant families with expanded options to potentially extend future healthcare protection.
U-Cord Plus® is an advanced new service that is expected to combine the Company's signature U-Cord product with an exciting new cord tissue storage service. Umbilical cord tissue is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), increasingly utilized in regenerative medicine research targeting prospective future therapies for a wide range of conditions including heart disease, stroke and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and diabetes. In combination with the collection of a newborn's cord blood at birth, a section of the cord tissue is procured and transported to Cryo-Cell's state-of-the-art laboratory for processing, testing and cryopreservation for future potential utilization. U-Cord Plus is expected be available as a standalone cryopreservation service, or in combination with Cryo-Cell's exclusive family healthcare plan, P³ Protect Baby, Protect Mom, Protect Family, which will also include the Company's proprietary menstrual stem cell service Célle®.
In 2007, Cryo-Cell announced its discovery and commercialization of a potential game-changer to the cord blood industry. Unlike umbilical cord blood counterparts, menstrual stem cells share the versatility and life-saving potential of both bone marrow and embryonic stem cells. With a 100% match to the woman (donor) and possibly to her first-degree relatives, Célle stem cells are undifferentiated, highly-prolific and easily harvested from a non-controversial recurring source. Célle empowers women to collect and cryopreserve their own menstrual stem cells that have demonstrated promising pre-clinical potential for future regenerative medical therapies. Cryo-Cell is the first and only company to offer revolutionary Célle menstrual stem cell technology.
"Cryo-Cell is very excited to announce plans for our advanced new service, U-Cord Plus, along with plans for our exclusive new healthcare plan, P³ Protect Baby, Protect Mom, Protect Family," stated Mercedes A. Walton, Cryo-Cell's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "In view of the significant progress underway to develop advanced MSC regenerative medical therapies, we do not believe it takes a leap of faith to recognize the seismic potential benefits of stem cell technology to safeguard future family health and well-being. As a global leader of innovative stem cell solutions, we believe that our existing and prospective clients may welcome Cryo-Cell's anticipated new service options designed to cryopreserve stem cells and tissue harvested from multiple sources."
The Company expects to provide clients with uniquely differentiated and competitively priced stem cell and tissue storage services. U-Cord Plus and P³ Protect Baby, Protect Mom, Protect Family are closely aligned to Cryo-Cell's core business of umbilical cord blood stem cell storage and are expected to provide the Company with potentially significant sources of new revenue designed to optimally leverage Cryo-Cell's existing infrastructure, resources and expertise. The Company's new services are expected to be generally available during the summer of 2011.
About Cryo-Cell International, Inc.
Based in Oldsmar, Florida, with over 230,000 clients worldwide, Cryo-Cell is one of the largest and most established family cord blood banks. ISO 9001:2008 certified and accredited by the AABB, Cryo-Cell operates in a state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practice and Good Tissue Practice (cGMP/cGTP)-compliant facility. In November 2007, the Company launched CélleSM (pronounced "C-L"), the world's first-ever commercial service allowing women to cryopreserve their own menstrual stem cells. Cryo-Cell is a publicly traded company. OTC Bulletin Board Symbol: CCEL. Expectant parents or healthcare professionals may call 1-800-STOR-CELL (1-800-786-7235) or visit www.cryo-cell.com.
About Célle
The CélleSM service was introduced in November 2007 as the first and only service that empowers women to collect and cryopreserve menstrual flow containing undifferentiated adult stem cells for future utilization by the donor or possibly their first-degree relatives in a manner similar to umbilical cord blood stem cells. For more information, visit www.celle.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
Statements wherein the terms "believes", "intends", "projects", "anticipates", "expects", and similar expressions as used are intended to reflect "forward-looking statements" of the Company. The information contained herein is subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in such forward-looking statements or paragraphs, many of which are outside the control of the Company. These uncertainties and other factors include the success of the Company's global expansion initiatives and product diversification, the Company's actual future ownership stake in future therapies emerging from its collaborative research partnerships, the success related to its IP portfolio, the Company's future competitive position in stem cell innovation, future success of its core business and the competitive impact of public cord blood banking on the Company's business, the Company's ability to minimize future costs to the Company related to R&D initiatives and collaborations and the success of such initiatives and collaborations, the success and enforceability of the Company's Célle technology license agreements and U-Cord license agreements and their ability to provide the Company with royalty fees, the ability of advanced new service named U-Cord Plus® and an exclusive family healthcare protection plan named P³ Protect Baby, Protect Mom, Protect Family® to generate new revenues for the Company and those risks and uncertainties contained in risk factors described in documents the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any Current Reports on Form 8-K filed by the Company. The Company disclaims any obligations to subsequently revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.