WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to help thousands of patients suffering from diseases requiring bone marrow and cord blood transplants, the U.S. Senate today approved the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2010. This critical measure, cosponsored by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), reauthorizes the National Marrow Donor Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory.

"I am pleased the Senate passed this bill, which builds upon the highly successful National Marrow Donor Program that has been a lifeline for thousands of transplant patients over the last several decades," said Reed, a member of the HELP Committee and the author of the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. "Today, we are taking a critical step forward in expanding access to lifesaving therapies to millions of patients with conditions that can be treated and even cured with bone marrow or cord blood."

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and in the attached umbilical cord after childbirth. It is collected because it contains adult stem cells, which can be used to treat a range of diseases. When the original bill was enacted in 2005, the consensus from the medical community was that the collection of 150,000 units of cord blood for use in transplants was the ideal number to fulfill their treatment needs and research goals. As cord blood transplants have become more prevalent, this new measure will authorize federal funding for more than just 150,000 units.

"I am particularly pleased this bill will remove the cap on the number of cord blood units that can be stored by qualified cord blood banks in the United States for the National Cord Blood Inventory," noted Reed. "The original law limited the number to 150,000 units. As the science has evolved, we know that 150,000 is nowhere near the amount necessary to meet the demands of those in need of a cord blood transplant. And, in eliminating this cap, I am pleased that we have included provisions to encourage greater cord blood donation and collection as well as provisions to help shed light on the obstacles to greater donation and collection."

Reed worked closely with a bipartisan coalition of Senators, led by Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Chris Dodd (D-CT), to pass this bill before October 1, 2010, when support for the National Cord Blood Inventory was set to expire.

The legislation reauthorizes a combined $53 million in funding for the two programs in each of the next five years through fiscal year 2015. It would further require:

• Qualified cord blood banks to develop an annual plan and demonstrate ongoing progress toward achieving self-sufficiency;

• Cord blood banks to provide a plan on how to increase cord blood collection and help establish or contract with new collection sites;

• The collection and maintenance of at least 150,000 new units of high-quality cord blood for transplantation;

• Further studies and demonstration projects to explore increasing cord blood donation and collection from a genetically diverse population;

• The General Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on cord blood donation and collection for submission to the appropriate House and Senate committees within one year of the bill's enactment.

Last year more than 12,000 patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and other life-threatening blood disorders searched the national Be The Match Registry® for a marrow donor or umbilical cord blood unit.

"I am proud that the Rhode Island Blood Center has contributed to the success of the National Marrow Donor Program with over 61,000 registered marrow donors," said Reed. "Last year a new partnership formed between the Rhode Island Blood Bank and Women and Infants Hospital in Providence to begin collecting umbilical cord blood units as part of a pilot project. Over 1,000 units have already been collected, and I look forward to the time when Rhode Island will be contributing to the National Cord Blood Inventory."

"The public registries made up of Rhode Island donors, and those from all over the country, have been a true lifeline for 40,000 Americans that have found an un-related match. By strengthening and enhancing the important programs operating these registries, many more Americans will be afforded the opportunity to find a match if they are ever in need," concluded Reed.

Identical legislation (H.R. 6081) was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-CA) and Congressman C.W. Bill Young (R-FL).

Now that it has passed the Senate, the bill is expected to be approved by the House and sent to President Obama's desk to be signed into law before October 1, 2010.

To learn how you can get involved and help patients in need, visit: www.marrow.org or www.ribc.org