Master Control 2025 Summit Keynote – Prepared for web publication
Opening
Please welcome Emmanuel Casa Sola of BioBridge Global.
Every second counts.
In the time it takes to say those words, a patient somewhere in America needs blood. In our world, time is measured in lives—and every life saved depends on a link of heroes: a donor who gives without hesitation, lab technicians testing with precision, a courier racing the clock, and a clinician acting in the moment. Many of those heroes are in this room. But if even one link falters, time wins. Every second counts.
That is why BioBridge Global exists: to ensure every precious second is supported by the people, products, and systems that save lives.
From a Local Blood Bank to a Global BioBridge
We began in 1974 as the South Texas Regional Blood Bank—a small team with a single blood bus bringing donation opportunities closer to where people live and work.
Today, we cover the vast South Texas region—more than 70,000 square miles. To put that in perspective, Utah is 85,000 square miles. In a region that large, every second counts.
BioBridge Global is now much more than a blood bank. We are leaders in biologics and advanced therapies through three subsidiaries:
- South Texas Blood & Tissue – Our core blood and tissue programs.
- QualTex Laboratories – Now the second-largest nonprofit laboratory in the nation.
- BBG Advanced Therapies – Focused on cell and gene therapy manufacturing, cell collections, and potency testing.
Across all three, we are highly digital, highly automated, and tightly regulated.
Our Culture of Quality
What sets BioBridge Global apart is our culture of quality. Quality is more than compliance—it is trust, responsibility, and care for the patients who depend on our work.
- Trust that every lab result is accurate and every product is safe.
- Responsibility for the lives behind each transfusion, therapy, and vial—there are no second chances when every second counts.
- Care for patients who may never know our names but rely on us to get it right every time.
Rising to the Moment
Our mission is never abstract. We are there for our community when times are most challenging.
- COVID-19 Pandemic: We were among the first blood banks in the country to launch a convalescent plasma program—bringing hope at a fearful time. When local philanthropists asked if we could keep kids in the classroom, we stood up Community Labs within six weeks, scaling to 100,000 samples per day with an average turnaround under 18 hours.
- Heroes in Arms: We launched a program that equips emergency vehicles with specialized whole blood units so transfusions can begin before a patient reaches the hospital—buying precious time and improving survival.
- Uvalde (May 24, 2022): When tragedy struck just 80 miles west, a helicopter lifted off our campus within minutes, carrying blood to Robb Elementary. We did what we could, as fast as we could—because every second counts.
Maya’s Story
Maya Zamora survived the Uvalde tragedy. Her recovery required multiple surgeries—sometimes several in a single day. Her reconstructive team will tell you: there is no substitute for blood. Without the donations available when she needed them, Maya would not be here today.
Her donors—Adriana and Gue—later learned their blood helped save Maya. Their message is simple: donate. Whether you know the recipient or not, your blood will not go to waste. It saves lives.
Today, Maya is thriving: middle school, student council, friends, art—and dreams of roller coasters without worry. Her family’s gratitude extends to every donor and to South Texas Blood & Tissue for ensuring blood is available when it matters most.
Chris White: A Race Against Time
Chris White took the stage to share why time is so precious. After years of pursuing life and work, he was diagnosed in 2018 with an ultra-rare melanoma. He tried every available option and endured severe side effects as the cancer progressed to stage four.
Out of options, Chris learned about a cell therapy often called TIL therapy—a process that removes a tumor, expands the patient’s own immune cells to the billions, and reinfuses them after preparing the body to receive them. His path required cross-country travel, tight timelines, and a race against insurance deadlines. He made it—barely.
On January 15, 2020, Chris received his cells. Six weeks later, his scans showed a 50–60% reduction. Within nine months, he achieved a complete metabolic response. In February 2024, the therapy received FDA accelerated approval for unresectable melanoma—the first advanced cell therapy approved for a solid tumor. In August 2024, Chris completed his five-year consent. He remains cancer-free.
Chris’s takeaway: decentralize access so patients aren’t forced into time-consuming travel for every step. Do what matters now—because you never know how much time you have.
Rethinking Advanced Therapies
Stories like Chris’s are why we launched BBG Advanced Therapies—to rethink cell and gene therapy manufacturing, specialized cell collections, and testing, and to solve for the issue of time. We partner with clinical sites and therapeutic developers to reimagine the patient journey.
The World’s First Mobile Leukapheresis Center
Just as our 1974 blood bus brought donation into the community, our Mobile Leukapheresis Center brings cell collection to patients. What once required a handful of specialized centers can now reach people where they are—making advanced therapies more accessible to everyone, everywhere.
This is BioBridge Global’s legacy: transforming decades of expertise into solutions for the future of advanced therapies. It’s only the beginning—and it will take all of us.
Call to Action
Every second counts. Become part of the link of heroes:
- Donate blood or platelets.
- Support community testing and preparedness.
- Partner with BBG Advanced Therapies to decentralize access to care.
Thank you.
Watch 2025 Summit Keynote with Emmanuel Casasola and Chris White Here.
