President Signs Bill Establishing National Umbilical Cord Blood Program

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- President Bush today signed into law the bill establishing a national umbilical cord blood program providing federal funding to collect and store cord blood for life-saving blood cell transplants and reauthorizing the existing national Registry for marrow donors. The combined program has been named the C. W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program.

"We are pleased that the President has enacted this legislation creating the cord blood program and reauthorizing the bone marrow registry. Naming the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program recognizes the significant contribution of Rep. Young (R-Fla.) since the beginning of the program," said Jeffrey Chell, M.D., National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) chief executive officer. "Federal funding makes it possible to expand the important work of the NMDP to administer marrow and cord blood transplants and research. We extend our sincere appreciation to the Congress and the Administration for their continued support of patients in need of transplantation."

The bill will provide $79 million in federal funding to increase the number of cord blood units available for matches. The goal is to provide an additional 150,000 cord blood units for public use and establish a system that allows transplant physicians access to adult volunteer donors and cord blood units.

"The creation of a national umbilical cord program significantly improves access for patients in need of transplants to treat blood diseases, metabolic and other rare disorders," said Joanne Kurtzberg, M.D., medical director of the Center for Cord Blood at the NMDP and founder and director of the Duke University Pediatric Bone Marrow. "The national program also holds great promise and potential to treat other blood diseases not currently treated by transplants."

The Center for Cord at the NMDP is uniquely positioned to fulfill the intentions of the legislation by providing a streamlined, single source for blood cells used for transplant -- marrow, peripheral blood stem cells and umbilical cord blood -- in a complete and convenient manner, quickly delivering the preferred source to the transplant physician. The increase in cord blood units provides additional options for patients and their doctors, particularly for patients of color.

A world leader in providing umbilical cord blood to help patients who need a life-saving transplant, the Center for Cord Blood at the NMDP manages the largest listing of cord blood units (45,000) in the United States with a network of 15 banks and three international registries. Additional banks and registries are being added continually.

Public cord blood banks collect and process cord blood from mothers who voluntarily donate their cord blood for use by unrelated recipients. The blood in the umbilical cord and placenta is unique because it contains large numbers of the types of cells used in transplantation. Collected after a baby's birth, cord blood collection poses no risk to the mother or her child.

Rep. Young is a longtime Congressman from Florida who was instrumental in starting the bone marrow donor registry in 1986 after learning that a national Registry could provide life-saving opportunities for those diagnosed with leukemia or numerous other fatal blood disorders. Since the first transplant in December 1986, the NMDP has facilitated 23,000 transplants and recruited 6 million unrelated volunteer donors for the Registry.

About the NMDP

The National Marrow Donor Program helps people who need a life-saving marrow or blood cell transplant. We connect patients, doctors, donors and researchers to resources they need to help more people live longer, healthier lives. To achieve our mission, we search our Registry, the largest listing of volunteer donors and cord blood units in the world; support patients and their doctors throughout the transplant process; and match patients with the best donor or cord blood unit using innovative science and technology. For more information about the NMDP, call 1-800-MARROW-2 or visit online at http://www.marrow.org/ .