Cordlife’s cord blood banking service licence extended for another year
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Cordlife's cord blood banking services have been renewed for another year.
PHOTO: ST FILE
SINGAPORE – Private cord blood banking company Cordlife has had its cord blood banking service licence renewed for another year by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
However, this does not mean it can now resume the collection, testing, processing and storing of new cord blood, which it has not been allowed to do since Nov 26, 2025
The renewal will allow Cordlife to continue to store and transfer the cord blood still under its care.
The company announced in a Jan 14 bourse filing that its cord blood banking service licence had been renewed for one year, from Jan 14, 2026, to Jan 13, 2027.
It can continue to operate to ensure the proper storage of existing cord blood units (CBUs).
The renewal will also allow Cordlife to facilitate transfers of existing CBUs to other local or accredited overseas cord blood banking service providers, and retrieve any existing CBUs for clinical purposes such as for transplants.
If clients request that their CBUs be disposed of, it can carry out the proper disposal.
Cordlife also said that MOH introduced a new requirement as part of the licensing conditions for the renewal.
Under this new requirement, if clients ask to retrieve CBUs for clinical purposes, Cordlife will need to first thaw and test the CBUs. Only viable units should be released to the clients.
Cordlife received a six-month suspension in November 2023 after audit checks found lapses in its storage of CBUs.
It was allowed to resume operations in a calibrated manner from Sept 15, 2024, after MOH was satisfied with the steps it had taken to address critical shortcomings.
Cordlife’s licence was renewed for one year from Jan 14, 2025, with a planned midpoint audit by MOH. Such licences are usually renewed for a period of two years.
However, the midpoint audit found that Cordlife had failed to maintain its compliance
As a result, it was restricted in November from accepting new CBUs.
Cordlife also announced on Jan 14 that its human tissue banking service licence has been renewed for two years, from Jan 14, 2026, to Jan 13, 2028. Based on a May 2024 announcement, Cordlife currently offers eye tissue banking services, under its human tissue banking service licence.
In a media statement, Cordlife quoted its group executive director and group chief executive Shally Chen Xiaoling as saying that the company is “committed to complying with all conditions attached to the licences, and to eventually restore the confidence of all stakeholders in the way we conduct our services”.
Ms Chen, who is also CEO of Cordlife Singapore, said: “The team has worked very hard in the last year to strengthen our operations, bring in experienced staff and retrain our existing team. We are encouraged by the progress made so far and we thank our regulators for their guidance and encouragement.”
In a separate bourse filing, Cordlife gave an update on claims made against it totalling at least $5.45 million
The claims were filed by an individual representing a group of parents who had stored 109 CBUs with Cordlife.
Cordlife had previously revealed that the claimants had sought damages at a market value of $50,000 for each damaged unit, or any other amount determined by the court, and reimbursement of expenses rendered futile owing to the damage, or for the court to order an assessment of damages.
In the Jan 14 filing, Cordlife said that after consultations with its legal advisers Rajah & Tann Singapore, it applied to the High Court on Jan 13 to convert the claimants’ originating application to an originating claim (OC).
The claimants now have to file an affidavit by Feb 3. The Straits Times has contacted the claimants for comments.
Ms Dawn Tan, founding director of law firm Ashurst ADTLaw, told ST that unlike the proceedings for an originating application, the legal process for OCs involves discovery or production of documents and, crucially, cross-examination of witnesses. OC trials are also heard in open court instead of private chambers.
In general, OCs begin where there are disputed facts between the parties, with the legal process helping the parties involved and the court to decide on the factual issues under dispute.
Ms Tan said that if the court grants Cordlife’s conversion application, both Cordlife and the claimants will have to produce all relevant documents, including adverse documents, which are those that may hurt one’s own case and/or help the other party’s case. Either party may also apply to court to compel the other party to produce documents if it fails to do so.
While the parties involved may utilise MOH’s findings, as with any publicly available information, “ultimately, the claimant in a civil proceeding bears the burden of proving its case”, said Ms Tan.
Other lawyers agreed that in this case, the claimants will have to prove that they have suffered damage and that Cordlife was liable.
Cordlife said in its media statement that about 60 per cent of customers affected when temperature fluctuations damaged CBUs accepted refunds and the company’s enhanced package, which included five additional years of free storage. The enhanced package also offered coverage and compensation of up to $100,000 for medical conditions requiring a stem cell transplant, including in situations where the units are used for siblings.
Cordlife repeated its earlier assessment that should it be ultimately ordered to pay the claims in this financial year, this would result in a negative impact on the company’s financial position.
