Its scope is limited to storing, transferring or retrieving existing cord-blood units for clinical use
[SINGAPORE] Cordlife Group has secured a one-year renewal of its cord-blood banking service licence from Wednesday (Jan 14) to Jan 13 next year, the company said on Wednesday.
It remains under strict regulatory curbs that include prohibiting the company from collecting, testing or storing any new cord-blood units (CBUs). The permissible scope in Singapore is limited to storing, transferring or retrieving existing units for clinical use.
The company said it “welcomes” the license renewals.
Shally Chen Xiaoling, Cordlife’s group executive director, group CEO, 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. We are committed to complying with all conditions attached to the licenses, and to eventually restore the confidence of all stakeholders in the way we conduct our services,” she added.
The company’s human tissue banking service licence has also been renewed for two years, from Jan 14, 2026, to Jan 13, 2028.
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The group noted that its operations in other jurisdictions, including Malaysia, Hong Kong and India, remain fully operational.
In a separate bourse filing on the same day, Cordlife announced that it has applied to convert ongoing client claims into an “originating claim”. This conversion is typically ordered when the material facts are in dispute and, if granted, would move the dispute to a full trial process.
On Dec 2, 2025, it was announced that Cordlife Group was facing claims of at least S$5.45 million in damages from clients who stored 109 CBUs with the company.
The claimants wanted Cordlife to be declared liable for loss and damage arising from negligence or breach of contract, and for “causing irreparable damage” due to its failure to properly store and preserve the CBUs.
The suit also seeks damages of S$50,000 per damaged unit. Based on the 109 units involved, the company estimated the total claims to be at least S$5.45 million.
Alternatively, the claimants are seeking a refund of all storage fees paid to date, or an order for the assessment of damages.
The company filed the necessary summons and reply affidavit on Tuesday, with the claimant group directed to reply by Feb 3.
Cordlife said that around 60 per cent of all customers affected by the temperature excursion incident have accepted refunds and a package which includes an offer of five additional years of free storage, coverage and compensation of up to $100,000, for medical conditions requiring a stem cell transplant.
The board stated it is currently unable to assess the financial impact of its licensing conditions on Cordlife’s performance for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2026.
It also continues to assess the impact of the claims, but states that should the company ultimately be ordered to pay, it will result in a negative impact on the financial position of the group.
Cordlife said that its search for a new Clinical Governance Officer is ongoing.
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