Cordlife Group, along with its subsidiaries, has been approved to resume cord blood banking activities in Singapore in a controlled manner. The company has unveiled its enhanced processing and storage facility, which now features strengthened operational protocols and an advanced laboratory monitoring system.
Chen Xiaoling, Group Executive Director, and Ivan Yiu, Group Chief Executive Officer, said that the rectification efforts highlight Cordlife’s focus on rebuilding trust with clients in Singapore and establishing a stronger foundation for future growth. “We sincerely apologise for the distress the incident has caused. We are deeply grateful for the patience shown by our clients and the authorities. We drew support from external industry experts as part of our in-depth review,” said Chen.
She added, “After vigorous evaluation, the Board, which was reconstituted on 14 May, continues to identify safeguards to prevent such incidents from recurring. We are fully committed to making Cordlife safer, stronger, and more secure for the families who trust us with their children’s future health.”
A key feature of the 5,400-square-foot facility is its new laboratory monitoring system, which tracks the temperature of 27 cryogenic storage tanks and other critical equipment, ensuring 24/7 real-time surveillance both on-site and remotely. The system provides detailed alerts to technicians, supervisors, and management through multiple communication channels, with protocols in place to escalate issues to senior leadership if necessary. The monitoring system is equipped with its own power source, while other equipment in the facility is supported by multiple uninterruptible power supplies and a backup generator.
Cordlife has also strengthened its operational processes and introduced additional measures, such as assigning more technicians for after-hours duty, to ensure continuous operations under any circumstances. The facility’s cord blood processing laboratory is equipped with four units of AXP II, an automated platform approved by the U.S. FDA for cord blood processing. This system’s advanced sensors ensure precise control during processing, allowing for a higher yield of viable stem cells.
Cordlife has completed the validation of this system under the supervision of the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) expert panel. The facility has also undergone refurbishment, with plans to reorganise key laboratory equipment to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
On the human resources front, Yiu said, “To enhance operational capabilities and improve service quality further, we have increased our laboratory and technical personnel by 18 per cent since I was appointed. We will continue to recruit more experts and professionals to elevate standards further and prepare for future growth.”
Cordlife has established an oversight committee comprised of Board members and management and a Medical and Technical Advisory Board to ensure robust governance. The company has also engaged Shandong Qilu Stemcell Engineering, a leading cord blood bank in China, to strengthen its operational capabilities. Shandong Qilu’s experience managing approximately one million cord blood units and facilitating over 10,000 cord blood transplants will support the Singapore team.
Cordlife’s cord blood banking services will resume in a controlled manner between 15 September 2024 and 13 January 2025. The company will be allowed to collect, test, process, and store up to 30 new cord blood units per month. This follows MOH’s confirmation that Cordlife’s facility has met the essential criteria for the resumption of operations.
Chen said, “Over the last nine months, our staff has worked closely with various industry experts and, most importantly, MOH. We thank MOH for its guidance, which has helped Cordlife emerge with a much stronger foundation. We intend to progress from controlled resumption to full resumption. We will work hard to regain the full trust of MOH and our clients in Singapore.”
Yiu added, “Cordlife has emerged from a major challenge, which has made us a more robust cord blood bank in Singapore. Our facilities outside of Singapore are not affected. We will grow our Group’s operations to provide more reliable and innovative services, establish strategic partnerships, and grow our market share in the region.”
Cordlife has been engaging with clients affected by temperature excursions in two cryogenic storage tanks and a dry shipper. The company is offering refunds for annual fees from the start of the temperature excursion and waiving subsequent fees until the maturity of service agreements when the child turns 21. Cordlife will store these units at no cost until the maturity of service agreements. The company has assured clients that it will not unilaterally dispose of any cord blood units nearing or past maturity until a resolution is reached.
If a transplant physician deems a cord blood unit unsuitable for an approved cord blood transplant due to its failure to meet viability criteria, Cordlife will make all reasonable efforts to find a suitable replacement. Additionally, donated cord blood units stored in five other cryogenic storage tanks, which are at low risk of being adversely affected by temperature excursions, are undergoing further testing. Billings for clients with cord blood in these tanks have been paused pending test results.
Chen concluded, “Cordlife appreciates the support of all clients over the years. We also thank all clients who have accepted our resolutions in recent months. We are encouraged by this and will continue to engage the remaining clients to reach an amicable resolution.”