New mobile leukapheresis center will help bring lifesaving treatments to a wider patient base
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – BBG Advanced Therapies, a subsidiary of San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global, has unveiled the first vehicle of its kind in the world, a mobile leukapheresis center designed to perform leukapheresis collections of starting materials for cell and gene therapies.
The bus-sized, self-contained center will go into service this summer and will include room for two apheresis collection stations as well as a testing laboratory. Collected cells will be processed and expanded elsewhere for use in advanced therapies.
The mobile leukapheresis center will support healthcare in a region of more than 63,000 square miles, collecting immune cells from cancer patients or healthy donors within the community.
The collected immune cells, which are the white blood cells that help the body fight diseases, are used to create personalized therapies that help patients heal using the power of their own immune systems. These cells can come directly from a patient or from healthy donors in the community.
“In a region the size of South Texas, providing access to these kinds of lifesaving therapies can be difficult,” said Adrienne Mendoza, Chief Operating Officer, BBG Advanced Therapies. “We believe that bringing this option to our service area can help make cutting-edge healthcare available to many, many more patients who need it.”
Patients or donors on the mobile leukapheresis center will undergo collections in the comfort of a reclining chair and will be provided with a choice of entertainment options during the process, including TV, movies and music. The mobile leukapheresis center also is equipped with a wheelchair lift and onboard lavatory for comfort and accessibility.
The mobile center will be staffed by experienced members of the BBG Advanced Therapies apheresis team. BioBridge Global has been operating an onsite center for collecting cells for therapies and research for more than a decade.
Just a handful of fixed-site centers in Texas are equipped to collect immune cells, and they are concentrated in the state’s major metropolitan areas. The mobile leukapheresis center will widen the scope of these new advanced therapies and strengthen the healthcare industry ecosystem in San Antonio and South Texas.
Some patients do not have access to lifesaving advanced therapies because they live too far from urban centers with leukapheresis collection capabilities. The solution is to bring these specialty collections to the patients nearer home by deploying this mobile unit.
“The mobile leukapheresis center has the potential to be a game-changer for San Antonio and South Texas,” Mendoza said. “Our region is behind other Texas metro areas when it comes to providing these new types of treatments to patients. This innovation can help bridge that gap.”
More than 30 advanced therapies have been approved in recent years, including new treatments for cancer, genetic disorders and other serious illnesses.
“Our new mobile leukapheresis offering is another innovative step in our efforts to support biotherapeutic breakthroughs,” said Martin Landon, Chief Executive Officer, BioBridge Global, “thereby improving patient care and expanding our mission to save and enhance lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue.”
About BioBridge Global: BioBridge Global is a San Antonio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit healthcare services enterprise that offers diverse services through its nonprofit subsidiaries – South Texas Blood & Tissue, QualTex Laboratories, BBG Advanced Therapies and The Blood & Tissue Center Foundation. BioBridge Global provides products and services in blood resource management, cellular therapy, donated umbilical cord blood and human tissue, as well as testing of blood, plasma and tissue products for clients in the United States and worldwide. The enterprise enables advances in the field of regenerative medicine and advanced therapies by providing access to starting materials, testing services and biomanufacturing and clinical trials support. BioBridge Global is committed to saving and enhancing lives through the healing power of human cells and tissue. Learn more at BioBridgeGlobal.org.
About BBG Advanced Therapies: The newest subsidiary of San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global, BBG Advanced Therapies provides innovative and custom solutions to accelerate the development of cell and gene therapies. BBG Advanced Therapies features a fully integrated and custom portfolio of innovative solutions, including collection and processing of starting materials, testing, clinical trials support, and biomanufacturing services. Learn more at BBGAdvancedTherapies.org.
