THE Ministry of Health (MOH) is estimating that the final results of the tests on Cordlife’s impacted cord blood units (CBU) will be ready by end-March.

In an update on Friday (Jan 26), MOH said the capacity constraints of the laboratory and need for further tests using additional samples from different parts of the tank, as well as an independent verification of the results have led to the estimated end-March timeline.

Preliminary investigations have shown that two of the six affected tanks which stored about 2,300 CBUs are unlikely to be affected by being exposed to suboptimal temperatures. The results for the other tanks and the dry shipper are not ready.

MOH said it will wait for the test results and an expert panel review to ascertain the impact of suboptimal temperatures on the tanks and dry shipper. If results prove inconclusive, repeat testing and further expert consultation will be required.

The cord blood samples from the remaining six affected tanks and dry shipper have been sent to a third-party laboratory to test for viability and potency of the CBUs. This totals about 19,700 CBUs, with 17,300 CBUs in the six tanks and 2,400 CBUs in the dry shipper.

MOH has reiterated the risks of transferring the CBUs to another cord blood bank, saying this should be a carefully considered option involving in-depth discussions with the receiving cord blood bank.

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The ministry said it is working with Cordlife to ensure its clients are kept updated, and will guide parents on the transfer policy and processes where appropriate.

Shares of Cordlife closed flat at S$0.305 on Friday.