OrganaBio and its wholly-owned leukapheresis collection subsidiary, HemaCenter, have designed processes and procedures to curate and maintain a highly recallable donor pool.
Access to robust, reliable cellular starting materials is critical to the success of a cell therapy program, and donor recallability is one of the largest challenges facing cell therapy developers who rely on leukapheresis-derived materials. OrganaBio, through HemaCenter, owns and manages the entire donor relationship process and experience to maximize donor engagement and recallability. OrganaBio’s ability to maintain donor relationships and recall donors with a high success rate (most recently, we achieved a 100% recall rate on a curated donor pool for a client project; see here for the case study) provides our clients with a reliable source of starting materials for cell therapy development and IND-enabling studies. More importantly, OrganaBio draws from the same donor pool for RUO and GMP products (i.e., the donor from whom RUO LeukoPACs™ and cell builds are produced can be the same donor from whom GMP materials are manufactured) saving time and money in screening new donors for GMP use and circumventing donor-based variability in process outcomes and final product potency. In addition, HemaCenter staff schedule each donor for their next collection when they present for apheresis collection. This helps keep our donors engaged by creating trust, through consistency, between our staff and donors.
When HemaCenter staff recruit donors, they begin an intimate, personalized journey that involves having a close relationship with the individual. This relationship is nurtured by our Senior Director of Tissue Procurement, Donor Coordinators, and Registered Apheresis Nurses who work under the purview of OrganaBio’s Medical Director. We create an environment in which donors feel safe and comfortable, and we maintain relationships by actively engaging our donors through consistent phone calls, text messages, and check-ins. Based on customers’ specifications and timelines, and the evergreen need for consistent cellular starting materials, we actively recruit donors on a weekly basis to increase the diversity and robustness of our donor population and maintain a high donor recall rate for our partners. As of the time of publication of this blog post, HemaCenter has a donor pool of >350 highly characterized, qualified donors.
OrganaBio draws from the same donor pool for RUO and GMP products, saving customers time and money and circumventing donor-based variability issues.
To accurately give customers the best chance at recall, we do not label all donors in our database as recallable. We use the criteria below to qualify donors as truly recallable:
- Donor has completed at least one collection at HemaCenter
- Donor has donated with us recently (i.e., in the last 2-4 months)
- Donor is punctual and reliable
- Donor is honest about medical history and does not exhibit any risky behaviors that could lead to permanent deferral
- Donor is responsive to phone calls, text messages, and/or emails and remains enthusiastic about donating at their next scheduled appointment
- Donor is comfortable with the collection process
- Donor is not donating elsewhere
A recallable donor must maintain a healthy lifestyle, and HemaCenter staff counsels and educates donors about proper nutrition, hydration, and pre- and post-donation activities. For example, we advise donors on consuming calcium rich foods and increasing iron uptake prior to donation to ensure successful collections and high-quality products for our customers. Our staff take the utmost care to ensure donor safety, a pleasant donation experience, and continued eligibility for donation for high donor recallability.
Contact us today at [email protected] to discuss your donor and product specifications for LeukoPACs, PBMCs, NK cells, T cells, and other apheresis-derived products.