Sidra Medicine launches Qatar’s first cord blood bank

Doha, Qatar: Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has launched a state-of-the-art cord blood banking service. This is the country’s first local cord blood storage facility and will offer families a unique opportunity to preserve their newborns’ stem cells in Qatar, for potential future medical needs.

Cord blood banking is the process of collecting and storing the blood from a newborn's umbilical cord and placenta after birth. The collection is painless, non-invasive, and risk-free for the mother and baby. Cord blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, which have the potential to treat various medical conditions, including certain cancers, blood disorders, and immune system diseases. 

Alia Abdel-Razeq, COO of CellSave Arabia and Dr. Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, Chief Executive Officer of Sidra Medicine

Prof. Johnny Awwad, Chair of Women’s Services at Sidra Medicine said: “As the only facility in Qatar providing local cord blood storage, Sidra Medicine offers an unparalleled advantage by keeping the samples in the country. This ensures their optimal quality and immediate access when needed most, compared to having them shipped from abroad.Cord blood is increasingly being stored by parents everywhere, who are seeking to preserve their child’s stem cells as they can be crucial for their child or their sibling/s in the future. Our commitment to the latest technology and international standards further guarantees the utmost reliability and peace of mind for families in Qatar.”

All the cord blood samples will be sent to Sidra Medicine’s Cord Blood Bank in its Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility, where cryogenic freezing will allow them to be stored securely for over 30 years.

Prof. Khalid Fakhro, Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine said: “Our cord blood banking service is another successful milestone for our precision medicine strategy.

There are over 80 diseases that can be treated using the banked samples including some types of cancers. With this private service now available for maternity patients at Sidra Medicine, we provideparents with the opportunity to safeguard their child's future health by cryopreserving their stem cells.

This is particularly relevant for families with a history of congenital medical issues.The stored stem cells could provide a source for regenerative therapies if their child or other family members experience blood or immune system disorders.”

Sam Lock, Tamara Abu Saad, Alia Abdel-Razeq, Dr. Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, Prof. Khalid Fakhro, Dr. Chiara Cugno

To expand its reach to other families in Qatar, Sidra Medicine signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CellSave Arabia, a leader in stem cell banking services.

It is available to any family in the country choosing the joint Sidra Medicine and CellSave Arabia service as their stem cell storage provider regardless of whichever hospital their baby is born in.

Dr. Iyabo Tinubu-Karch, Chief Executive Officer of Sidra Medicine said: “This partnership with CellSave Arabia aligns perfectly with Sidra Medicine’s mission to advance healthcare and foster healthier families across Qatar.

Thanks to our facilities and CellSave Arabia’s reach, this is the first time that families across the country have an option to have their children’s stem cells stored in the country.

Together, we aim to make advanced stem cell processing and storage more accessible, thereby contributing to a more robust healthcare infrastructure in the region.”

Alia Abdel-Razeq, COO of CellSave Arabia said at the MoU signing ceremony with Sidra Medicine: “Partnering with Sidra Medicine marks a pivotal step in our commitment to healthcare innovation in Qatar.

By utilizing Sidra Medicine’s exceptional facilities and expertise, we can significantly elevate our service offerings, ensuring that families in Qatar have access to vital stem cell banking services that support their future health needs.”

Cord blood banking is already available at Sidra Medicine and plans are underway to extend the joint Sidra Medicine and CellSave Arabia service to those who deliver their babies in other hospitals in addition to launching other services including umbilical cord banking, placental tissue banking, amniotic tissue banking, and Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) banking.