China Cord Blood Corporation Announces $65M Investment by KKR

China Cord Blood Corporation

and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. announced that they have entered into agreements under which KKR China Growth Fund L.P., a China focused investment fund managed by KKR, is expected to invest $65 million into CCBC, the largest cord blood banking operator in China, to support its further business expansion and to capitalize on China's fast growing healthcare services industry. Cord blood contains large quantities of stem cells that, if stored properly, can later be used to treat life-threatening diseases. The applications of cord blood stem cells continue to expand, and can now be used to treat over 80 types of diseases, such as leukemia, lymphoma, thalassemia and inherited immune system disorders. This progress in medical research and clinical applications continues to raise public awareness of the benefits of storing cord blood. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2009, CCBC was the first licensed cord blood banking operator in China, providing collection, testing, processing, and storage services. CCBC runs the largest cord blood banking network in China in terms of geographical coverage, with exclusive licenses to service the city of Beijing, Guangdong Province and Zhejiang Province. This area covers more than 180 million people and has 1.9 million new births annually.