LifeCell, a joint venture between Asia Cryo Cell Pvt Ltd and the Florida based Cryo-Cell International, is planning to set up its marketing headquarters for ASEAN countries at Singapore, within October 2006.
The company is currently in advanced stages of negotiations with healthcare companies for partnership to initiate the venture, using the technical support of US-based Cryo-Cell International Inc, informed sources from LifeCell.
LifeCell has plans to set up its ASEAN countries' marketing base at Singapore and the storage centre at Malaysia. "We have not yet finalized whether the stem cell storage plant should be set up at Malaysia. If there is a suitable partner from Singapore, we may think of setting up both marketing and storage centres there itself," told Prasad Mangipudi, vice president, marketing, LifeCell.
The company plans to invest around two to three million Singapore dollars for the marketing division and another four million for the stemcell banking facility. Plans are to replicate the facilities offered at India to these countries, including the new technologies and sources on stemcell research and transplantation from Cryo-Cell International Inc.
The Cryo-Cell, the pioneers in the field with a proven track record of 15 years in umbilical cord cell banking, is coming up with new sources and techniques for stem cell banking,
including new sources of placental stem cells and the cord lining tissues, which the LifeCell will introduce in its business area within a short period, added Prasad.
Umbilical cord tissue and fat tissues are the other sources undergoing research at present. The commercial operations on these sources will commence by the end of year 2006, according to S Abhayakumar, CEO, Asia CRYO-CELL Pvt. Ltd. The company envisages setting up six centres, at Dubai, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore and Austria during the financial year 2006-07.
The company has also plans to commence public cord blood banking service in India by October 2006. The public cord blood banking service, which follow the US guidelines, will focus on collecting cord blood from public through proper testing including the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing test, which would cost around Rs 30,000. The company will commence setting up an Indian registry of cord blood banking, following US guidelines.
The company will launch India's first exclusive stem cell transplant centre in Chennai, a joint venture of LifeCell and Chennai based Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute (SRMC & RI), by July 2006, informed the LifeCell sources. The company plans to open similar centres at various parts of the country in the consecutive years.
Started with an investment of Rs.120 million, LifeCell has plans to establish 24 such centers all over India within a short period.