The story
Crioestaminal was founded in 2003 by a group of scientists from Coimbra University and professionals in the field of biological sciences.
One of the main milestones in the life of Crioestaminal occurred in 2006 with the opening of its own laboratory at Biocant Park.
Also in 2006, Crioestaminal created Genelab – Molecular Diagnostics, which focuses on diagnostics using molecular biology techniques. That same year, Crioestaminal began operations in Spain through Crioestaminal Spain, based in Barcelona, and also in Italy in partnership with a local company.
In 2007, the first transplant using stem cells stored in a family bank in Portugal took place. The sample stored at Crioestaminal was used to treat a child suffering from Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). The cord blood sample used in this treatment belonged to this child's brother and had been stored at Crioestaminal since 2003.
The year 2009 was marked by the first release of cryopreserved umbilical cord blood samples at Crioestaminal for an ongoing clinical study at Duke University in the United States in children with cerebral palsy. Two samples were sent in 2009 and three more samples in 2010 for treatment in Portuguese and Italian children.
In 2010, the Crioestaminal Group acquired the Celvitae brand, based in Madrid, thus strengthening its presence in the Spanish market. Also in 2010, Crioestaminal obtained international accreditation from the prestigious AABB, for the analysis, processing, storage and distribution of umbilical cord blood.
In 2011, Crioestaminal launched a new service that allows the cryopreservation of mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord tissue. It also sent another umbilical cord blood sample for inclusion in Duke University's clinical trial for cerebral palsy.
In 2013, Crioestaminal announced a project to expand its laboratory, transforming the company into the second-largest family-owned cryopreservation bank in Europe. That same year, it received the Consumer's Choice award.
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In 2014, Crioestaminal was the brand with the most satisfied consumers, among 613 brands evaluated by 70 thousand consumers, revealed Consumer Choice. In that year, Crioestaminal released 2 more samples of cryopreserved umbilical cord blood in Portugal for 2 children with cerebral palsy, with one treatment taking place in the United States and the other in Spain.
2014 was marked by the release of an umbilical cord blood sample stored in a family bank in Portugal to treat a 6-year-old child with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in an autologous transplant (using child's own cells). The infusion was successfully performed at the Niño Jesus Hospital in Madrid.
By 2015, Crioestaminal had already received more than 65,000 families who had chosen it to store their stem cells. With the laboratory's expansion earlier that year, it became one of the largest in Europe with a capacity of 300,000 samples. That same year, Crioestaminal extended its international accreditation to include umbilical cord tissue, becoming the first European laboratory with dual accreditation for umbilical cord blood and tissue.
In 2016, it was nominated for the 3rd consecutive time as Consumer's Choice, an achievement that is being renewed for 11 consecutive years.
The year 2018 was marked by the release of two samples stored at Crioestaminal, this time for the treatment of two children with autism. The treatment was included in a clinical trial at Duke University in the United States. That same year, Crioestaminal expanded its laboratory again, this time with the preparation of a new unit for the production of cell therapy drugs.
Also in 2018, Crioestaminal became part of the Famicord Group, the largest European group of cryopreservation banks and third in the world, thus reinforcing its leading position in the cryopreservation sector.
In 2019, Crioestaminal released one autologous umbilical cord blood sample for hematopoietic transplantation in a Portuguese child with severe aplastic anemia. The treatment took place at the Lisbon oncology hospital.
In that same year, it acquired the entirety of the company that owned the Bebécord, Mamãs&Bebés and Bebé4D brands, the current NGI-Lifescience and Health International, S.A., reinforcing its leading position in the Portuguese market.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, Crioestaminal opened its ATMP production laboratory, with GMP certification issued by Infarmed, having released that same year, for the Lisbon oncology hospital, the first unit of its investigational drug SLCTmsc02, obtained from the expansion of mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord tissue for the treatment of severe cases of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).
In 2023, two additional samples released for infusion with autologous umbilical cord blood in two children diagnosed with autism. This time, as part of a clinical trial that took place in Bucharest at Medicover Hospital, called CORDUS.
During 2024, Crioestaminal received a new license issued by Infarmed, this time for the distribution of medicines for human use in accordance with good distribution practices (GDP) and began a partnership with the Champalimaud Foundation, carrying out the analysis, processing, storage and distribution of hematopoietic progenitors from patients undergoing autotransplantation at this institution.
In 2025, highlight is given to the release of an umbilical cord blood sample for the treatment of a child with cerebral palsy, once again at Duke University Children's Hospital, but this time with a sample from a compatible sibling that had been cryopreserved at birth.
From Wikipedia’s article on Crioestaminal, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4