SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 4, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the need for plasma-based medicines growing worldwide, BloodSource announces the opening of BloodSource Granite Bay Source Plasma Donor Center, the 19th BloodSource Donor Center, in Granite Bay, CA.
"We are experiencing a worldwide shortage of plasma," said CEO of BloodSource Mike Fuller. "There is an increasing need to help patients that rely on plasma-derived medicines for survival. The launch of our new source plasma donor center is a part of ongoing efforts to grow our longstanding mission of providing blood and services to those in need and to specifically address this global concern."
More than 80 different medical conditions can be treated by plasma-based medicines and therapies, including neurological diseases, immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders and more. Source plasma specifically collected at Granite Bay Source Plasma Donor Center will help enrich the development and distribution of these lifesaving and life-enhancing therapies to patients around the world.
"People who have immune deficiencies count on specific medicines to allow them to live full and productive lives," said Bonnie Doak, who was diagnosed with two immune deficiencies. "These therapies are not possible without plasma donors. When I was 40 years old, I was given two years to live. But 30 years later, I'm still standing and grateful to be here."
Additional existing BloodSource donor centers will start collecting source plasma in the near future.
BloodSource, in collaboration with the International Plasma Fractionation Association (IPFA) and Blood Centers of America Inc. (BCA), will also host the inaugural Global Symposium on the Future for Blood and Plasma Donations. From September 23-24 in Sacramento, the Symposium will identify and address the increasing global patient need for essential life saving plasma-based therapies, and draw colleagues from blood banking, patient and donor organizations, and regulatory authorities involved in policies to secure and increase the global supply of plasma. Several guest speakers from organizations around the world are scheduled to participate, including PlasmaGen BioSciences Pvt Ltd. (India), Rotary International (USA), Shabrawishi Hospital (Egypt), South African National Blood Service (South Africa), UNC Hemoderivados (Argentina), World Federation of Hemophilia/A-PLUS (USA, Spain) and more.
Additional topics to be covered during the Symposium include clinical developments in plasma product use, quality management of plasma, optimizing plasma collection and economics, industry developments in support of blood establishments, and more.
For more information on BloodSource Granite Bay Source Plasma Donor Center, please visit bloodsource.org. For more information on the Symposium or to register, please visit ipfa.nl or email IPFA.
About BloodSource
BloodSource is a leading not-for-profit, California-based blood center serving hospitals and patients close to home, across the nation and around the world. BloodSource is a blood industry leader and innovator with a mission to provide blood and services to those in need. BloodSource experts are available for interviews upon request.