FamiCord (PBKM)
Stem-cell banking & therapy · Regenerative medicine
Overview
Europe's largest family stem-cell bank (PBKM/FamiCord), expanding into advanced cell-therapy (ATMP) manufacturing.
What they do
FamiCord Group, headed by Poland's PBKM (Polski Bank Komórek Macierzystych), is Europe's largest family stem-cell bank. It collects, processes and cryopreserves umbilical cord blood and cord tissue for families, and operates a pan-European network built partly through acquisitions such as the UK's Smart Cells.
Lead program & status
Beyond banking, PBKM/FamiCord is a leading European developer and manufacturer of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), focused on mesenchymal stromal cells from Wharton's Jelly of the umbilical cord (WJ-MSC). The group operates GMP laboratories in Poland and Portugal authorised to manufacture tissue- and cell-based ATMPs. It reports a stored inventory in the hundreds of thousands of units and thousands of patients treated in clinical trials, experimental and standard therapies, with roughly twenty preclinical and clinical programs running in-house or via consortia. In 2024 it expanded partnerships, including renewed cooperation with a center applying MSC therapy to neurological conditions.
Why it matters
By coupling Europe's biggest biobank with ATMP manufacturing capacity, FamiCord bridges stem-cell storage and clinical-grade regenerative medicine, a scarce capability in the EU's tightly regulated cell-therapy space.
FAQ
- What is the relationship between PBKM and FamiCord?
- PBKM (Polish Stem Cells Bank) is the Polish parent that leads the broader FamiCord Group of European stem-cell banks.
- Does FamiCord do more than store cord blood?
- Yes. It manufactures Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) based on Wharton's Jelly mesenchymal stromal cells in GMP labs in Poland and Portugal.
- How large is FamiCord in Europe?
- It is described as Europe's largest family stem-cell bank, with a network expanded through acquisitions such as Smart Cells in the UK.
Technology
FamiCord (PBKM) works in CAR-T Cell Therapy — Re-engineering a patient's own T-cells into living cancer hunters.
Read the CAR-T Cell Therapy brief →Related companies
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