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LifeCell appoints Edelman India as its PR partner

~ Mandate aimed at increasing concept awareness and market penetration ~

Mumbai, 10 August 2012:

LifeCell International, India’s largest and most accredited stem cell bank today announced its decision to appoint Edelman as its PR partner to handle LifeCell’s public relations and media mandate.

Founded in 2004, LifeCell was the first to bring the revolutionary concept of umbilical cord stem cell banking to India and with over 50,000 parents who have chosen to preserve their baby’s umbilical cord stem cells with LifeCell, the company today retains its significant market leadership LifeCell has a Pan-India presence, providing its services in over 100 towns and cities in India. Its preservation facility in Chennai is one of the most reputed in the industry with several national and international accreditations to its credit Edelman’s mandate is to raise public awareness about stem cell banking, improve understanding about the concept of stem cell banking amongst consumers & medical professionals, increase media visibility for LifeCell and highlight the company’s offerings & leadership position in the industry. Commenting on this partnership Mr Ravi Shankar, Head – Corporate Communications & Marketing, LifeCell International said, “LifeCell is poised for high growth in the coming months and is in need of a PR partner who will fuel this trajectory by increasing the concept and brand awareness of stem cell banking in the market. We are pleased to join hands with Edelman in our growth phase. We are confident of leveraging Edelman’s expertise and pan-India presence to create awareness about the importance of stem cell banking and to highlight LifeCell’s role, unique offerings and significant leadership in the area of stem cell. Edelman India’s expertise in the healthcare & consumer space and thorough understanding of our business helped us reach this unanimous decision to appoint them as our PR partners.”

LifeCell has attained its stature as India’s largest stem cell preservation company through its persistent educative and promotional initiatives to create awareness and the need for stem cell preservation. To further enhance awareness, LifeCell partnered Lisa Ray, Model and actor, who had undergone successful stem cell therapy for treatment of blood cancer Lisa Ray today, continues to endorse the brand. LifeCell’s association with Edelman is intended towards further penetrating the market through higher levels of market education and awareness.

Robert Holdheim, Managing Director, Edelman India said, “LifeCell International is a pioneer in the field of stem cell banking in India and we are delighted to be associated with them. This win has cemented our position as leaders in healthcare communications in India. Stem Cell banking and research has enormous scope in the field of regenerative medicine. We hope to help LifeCell maintain and expand their position as leaders in the field of stem cell banking and research in India and globally”.

About LifeCell International

LifeCell is India’s largest & most accredited stem cell bank and the first to bring the revolutionary concept of umbilical cord stem cell banking to India in 2004 in technological collaboration with Cryo-Cell International USA - the world’s first private stem cell bank. LifeCell is headquartered at Chennai with an advanced laboratory & research facility in adherence to strict International guidelines. The stringent standards followed by LifeCell have received many International accreditations from AABB (American Association of Blood Banks), CAP (College of American Pathologists), and NABL (National Accreditation Board for Calibration and Testing Laboratories). LifeCell is the first stem cell bank in India to receive prestigious AABB accreditation for Cord blood & cord tissue. Importantly LifeCell is also the second in the world to be accredited for cord tissue preservation. Since inception LifeCell has grown at a consistent pace and has strongly established its leadership position in the industry, with its coverage extending to over 100 cities and towns in India. As leaders LifeCell had the responsibility of educating the public and medical fraternity on stem cell technology and through these efforts today over 50,000 parents have preserved their baby’s cord blood stem cells with LifeCell. Considering LifeCell’s leadership position and growth, the company was honoured as one amongst ‘India’s Most Promising Brand’ for 2011-2012 by 4Ps Business and Marketing.

The company is also championing several initiatives in the stem cell therapy area through partnerships and in-house R&D efforts. LifeCell is the sole distributor for USFDA approved point-of-care medical device that can provide a patient’s stem cells from the bone marrow within 15 minutes from by the bed-side, which is useful for applications in orthopaedic, vascular and cardiovascular specialities.. With these significant achievements and leadership, LifeCell has uniquely positioned itself as a comprehensive stem cells solutions provider with a complete spectrum of services in stem cells through multi-service stem cell banking, R&D, clinical trials and stem cell therapy.

About Edelman – India

Edelman India Pvt. Ltd. is part of the global Edelman network with a team of 250 professionals across ten offices in India. It offers Indian and global clients strategic communications and media relations support, as well as Digital Communications, Public Affairs, Health, Technology, CSR and Sustainability communications. Among the offerings from Edelman India is the Edelman Trust Barometer, the firm’s annual trust and credibility survey now into its 12th year and 6th year in India; the GoodPurpose study that explores consumer attitudes around social purpose and expectations of brands and corporations; Digital Brand Index which tracks macro-trends in the social media landscape all across Asia; TweetLevel and BlogLevel, purpose-built tools for PR and marketing to ensure brands use Twitter and blogs effectively.