About
EvercordTM is a family cord blood and tissue banking service that allows parents to store their newborns’ stem cells. Evercord is the product of a partnership between Natera® (a leader in non-invasive prenatal testing) and Bloodworks (a top newborn stem cell donation bank with 20 years of experience). This unique collaboration can potentially expand families' stem cell treatment options in the future by offering high quality cord blood cryopreservation along with Natera’s ability to provide timely information about genetic disease risk. Labs and Locations Natera’s headquarters are in San Carlos, California. Natera’s lab partner, Bloodworks, is located in Seattle, Washington. For ease of transportation in and out of the lab, units are stored at Bloodworks, near the Seattle-Tacoma international airport. Bloodworks is AABB accredited, CLIA certified, and one of only a half dozen cord blood laboratories that are FDA licensed (not just registered with the FDA). Business Experience Evercord’s lab was founded in 1944 and has been banking cord blood for 20 years. To date, Evercord’s lab has released nearly 1,000 cord blood units for transplant to more than 100 hospitals around the world.1 1 Natera and Bloodworks are in a partnership to create Evercord, an offering that enables expectant parents to collect, store and potentially retrieve their newborn’s cord blood and tissue for therapeutic use in transplantation and regenerative medicine applications. The transplant data cited is from Bloodworks’ prior experience as a public cord blood bank. This data is referenced as proof of the quality processing and preservation systems for the Evercord product that are designed to enable transplantation when needed, and as a reference point for families who purchase the Evercord product. Collection Kit ● Evercord uses an FDA-approved sterile collection bag for cord blood and a collection cup for cord tissue which are suitable for all deliveries (including cesarean sections). ● Cord blood collection bags are pre-filled with the FDA-recommended anticoagulant citrate phosphate dextrose (CPD) that also functions as a cell preservative and is recommended for cord blood banking. ● ChloraPrep™ device is included in the kit to be used to clean the cord before inserting a needle to collect cord blood. ChloraPrep contains a fast-acting and long lasting antimicrobial agent which can help reduce bacterial growth for at least 48 hours. Transportation container Evercord’s collection kit is designed to protect cord blood stem cells from extreme temperatures that can occur during shipping times that exceed four hours. For temperature control during transportation, the container includes an ambient TheraPak gel pack, silver insulated pouch, robust foam insulation pouch, and a tight-sealing kit. An independent study performed by Polyfoam Corporation (2017) validated that when cord blood stored in Evercord's transportation container was exposed to extremes of 95 F and 14 F, the collection kit maintained the cord blood temperature within the ideal range for several hours. Shipping Info After you have delivered your baby and his or her cord blood has been collected, you will need to call one of our medical couriers, who will come and pick-up your kit from the hospital for transport to the processing laboratory. Evercord uses Quick International, a private medical courier service with over 30 years of experience. Quick International specializes in shipping life-saving organs and blood products for transplant and research. Courier service is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Shipping cost is included in the first-year service fees for U.S. collections. You will be notified after your sample arrives at the lab. Processing Method Evercord provides individualized care for each unit. Cord blood is prepared for cryopreservation by removing the red blood cells and plasma. Only the portion of the blood that contains white blood cells and stems cells is stored for future use. Each unit undergoes a manual processing method for more precise control (versus batch processing several units at once). The cord blood sample is tested for quality, viability, and bacterial contamination. Cord tissue is stored whole with minimal processing so that parents can use the best technology available to process the tissue at the time of release, and the right method for the specific therapy.2 2The choice to use cord blood stem cells will depend on a variety of factors – only a physician can determine when cord blood stem cells should be used, on a case by case basis. Many of the conditions currently treated with cord blood stem cells are genetic diseases. There is no guarantee that your physician will choose stem cell transplant over other courses of treatment. Unlike cord blood, there are currently no proven treatments using cord tissue stem cells. Components Stored Both umbilical cord blood and cord tissue can be stored.3 Evercord customers are provided with a certificate of cryopreservation as well as a document describing the clinical details of the cord blood unit. Cord tissue is stored whole to preserve all cell types for possible future use. 3 Activities for New York State residents are limited to collection of umbilical cord tissue and processing and long-term storage of umbilical cord tissue or cord tissue-derived cells. The tissue bank's possession of a New York State license for such collection, processing and/or long-term storage does not indicate approval or endorsement of possible future uses or future suitability of these cells. Storage Method Evercord samples are stored in the vapor phase of cryogenic nitrogen at -196 degrees Celsius to preserve the cells in their most pristine condition. The final product is stored in a multi-compartment cryogenic storage bag. Evercord stores samples in an 80/20 bag. If stem cell expansion becomes available, patients could request the 20 percent unit to be expanded, and the parents would still have 80 percent of their unit stored for future additional treatments. In addition to storing the cord blood unit in the 80/20 bag, Evercord stores three samples for unit testing as well as results from testing the maternal blood. This provides physicians with more information at the time of use. Every unit is overwrapped for additional protection during storage. Licensing & Accreditation Evercord’s cord blood laboratory is FDA registered, FDA licensed, accredited by the AABB, and CLIA certified. Clinical Experience Evercord’s lab has released nearly 1,000 cord blood units for transplant. Evercord’s lab contributes approximately 50 units per month to the national cord blood registry of Be The Match. Insurance Evercord stands behind its quality with the highest value quality guarantee in the U.S. If the sample fails to engraft, fees will be reimbursed and the family will receive $100,000.4 4 RESTRICTIONS APPLY. VISIT Evercord disclaimers FOR DETAILS Prices No payment is due until the cord blood unit is stored at Evercord’s processing laboratory. Cord blood banking (single birth) ● One-time fee (year 1): $1649 ● Ongoing storage fees (year 2+): $149 Cord blood and cord tissue ● One-time fee (year 1): $2648 ● Ongoing storage fees (year 2+): $279 Payment plans available Plans have no fees or credit check and start at $92/month. ● 6-month ● 12-month ● 18-month Discount Pricing: ● Thank you to those who protect our children - Active military savings ● Thank you to those who teach our children - teacher’s special savings ● Twins or triplets - Multiples savings ● Clients that bank more than one child’s stem cells with Evercord also receive a special discount on the cost of Evercord’s services ● Clients can earn two years of free storage if they refer friends who bank (up to $558 value) ● Discounts on long-term storage packages Additional Services Evercord is part of the Natera family of products, which include: Complimentary genetic information sessions with board-certified genetic counselors who can answer questions in over 200 languages Horizon™, which looks at your genes to see if you are a carrier for up to 274 autosomal recessive and X-linked genetic conditions (34 of which are treatable with cord blood stem cells) Panorama®, a market-leading noninvasive prenatal screening test that reveals your baby's risk for certain chromosomal disorders as early as nine weeks Spectrum®, a preimplantation screening and diagnostic test that evaluates embryos for specific chromosomal abnormalities and specific inherited genetic disorders To learn more about cord blood banking, visit Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation at https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/bank/evercord