The IOM report recognized the desirability of 'one-stop-shopping' for all sources of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC). However, it concluded that a new government structure must be established because the IOM believes that a mechanism for searching all HPCs does not exist. NMDP has already developed such a mechanism, making additional government bureaucracy unnecessary.
"We appreciate the challenge IOM faced in addressing questions of structure, access and the science of cord blood, particularly given the limitations on time and budget," said Dr. Jeffrey W. Chell, NMDP chief executive officer. "Unfortunately, due to these resource constraints, IOM was not able to visit NMDP to see that the 'one-stop shopping' approach, including the single-search algorithm, already exists in NMDP's coordinated network. The bottom line is, we have already developed the system that the IOM is recommending. We look forward to working with all parties involved to make the system even better."
"Patients and their physicians are the biggest beneficiaries of an integrated national cord blood program because it speeds broader access to life-saving cord blood, marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplants," Chell said. "We agree with the IOM's conclusion that the cell 'source chosen must be driven by patient needs and anticipated outcomes on the basis of the best available evidence,' which is how our single-search algorithm works."
The NMDP is the largest registry of cord blood units in the country (more than 40,000 units), an international cord blood registry and the largest Registry of marrow donors in the world (more than 5.5 millio
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Contact: Pat Thompson
pthomps2@nmdp.org
612-627-8182
National Marrow Donor Program
14-Apr-2005