MIPS Project Detail:

TheraCord LLC

TheraCord Cord Blood Collection Device

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Company

TheraCord LLC

Baltimore

Baltimore City

County

, Maryland

Founded:

2011

Website:

Company Description:

TheraCord is developing a novel cord blood collection device, the CBx system. The device utilizes placental perfusion to increase collection yields by an anticipated 50 percent, increasing the utility of cord blood in under-supplied markets by five-fold and reducing costs by up to 65 percent.

MIPS Project

TheraCord Cord Blood Collection Device

Project #

5513

|

MIPS Round

55 |

Starting Date:

Feb 2015

MIPS Project Challenge:
The goal of this MIPS project was to optimize TheraCord’s CBx perfusion process, derisk key regulatory concerns, and propel its technology towards becoming the new gold standard for cord blood collection.

Project Scope:
For this MIPS project, researchers planned to develop a CBx System protocol for the maximum leukocyte, CD34+ cell and CFC yield. In addition, researchers were slated to test the ability of TheraCord’s placenta massaging prototype to improve cell yield. Work on this project was expected to yield an optimized protocol for perfusion using the CBx System, and the data needed for rational instrument design freeze for commercialization.

MIPS connected TheraCord with the UM Center for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, a key match that has truly accelerated our development.

Christopher Chiang, CEO, TheraCord

Results:

Leveraging data and developments from MIPS, TheraCord was able to secure $500K in follow-up funding to tackle the next stage of development. TheraCord was able to employ two graduates on-site and continue the collaboration with Kingsbury’s lab through sponsored research.

Additional Information:
There are over 670 ongoing clinical trials examining cord blood’s potential use in treating diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, cerebral palsy, and stroke.

Despite its potential therapeutic advantages, cord blood transplants constitute a minor fraction of hematopoietic stem cell transplants, and over 95 percent of cord blood in the U.S. remains uncollected.

Currently, cord blood is banked privately, as a fee-forservice, and publicly, similar to blood donations.

Umbilical cord blood is a readily available source of transplantable hematopoietic stem cells unhindered by ethical issues or complex surgical extraction. Cord blood (CB) is collected from the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. Cord blood transplants are used in the established treatments of over 80 diseases, similar to bone marrow transplant, but with the advantage of having increased flexibility in immunological (HLA) matching, lower incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), and immediate availability for transplant from storage.