NMDP BioTherapies and the Cord Blood Bank Alliance Announce Enhanced Selection of Cord Blood Units for NK and Other Cell Therapies
Friday, July 19, 2024
NMDP BioTherapiesSM (formerly known as Be The Match BioTherapies) and the NMDP BioTherapies Cord Blood Bank Alliance (CBBA), which includes nine public cord blood banks, are now providing pre-identified cord blood units tailored for the production of cord-derived cell therapies, particularly NK cell therapies. This effort utilizes the CBBA’s extensive collection of over 200,000 cord blood units and NMDP BioTherapies’ advanced search platform, enabling the efficient identification of units that meet specific manufacturing requirements.
Recent research by Dr. Katayoun Rezvani, presented at ASH in December 2023 and published in Nature Medicine, demonstrated that certain attributes of cord blood units are associated with better manufacturing and clinical outcomes for CAR-NK cells. Joy Aho, Director of Product Management at NMDP BioTherapies, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “Finding these specific cord blood units can be challenging, but our partnership with the Cord Blood Bank Alliance allows us to quickly locate and provide units that meet the established criteria. This collaboration supports the advancement of cell and gene therapies and aims to enhance patient outcomes.”
The CBBA, initially formed by eight NMDP member banks, brings together extensive experience in the regulated development, production, and distribution of allogeneic products. Jill Thomas, Director of Operations at Bloodworks Bio, noted the promising implications of the initiative: “The criteria outlined in the Nature Medicine paper could lead to significant clinical improvements for patients receiving cord blood-derived NK cell therapies and potentially other types of cell therapies.”
Units that meet the Rezvani criteria are identified using NMDP BioTherapies’ search platform and are set aside by CBBA member banks for quick delivery upon order through the NMDP BioTherapies website (https://nmdpbiotherapies.com/cord-blood/). These units are cryopreserved within 24 hours of collection, have low nRBC counts, comply with CFR 1271 standards, and are commercially consented.
Source: businesswire.com
