Offers Plasma Donors Ways to Help Others and Make Money
The world's largest independent blood-plasma donation center operator adds Missouri to the states where it operates. The new blood-plasma donation center in Jefferson City opens February 7, 2023, and welcomes new donors to help meet the worldwide demand for blood-plasma that grows yearly. ImmunoTek operates donation centers in 19 other states, and the new Jefferson City center marks the 75th center in the U.S. wholly designed, built, and operated by the organization.
The company has received more than six million donations from blood-plasma donors since it launched a decade ago. Donated plasma helps create plasma protein therapies and medicines for healthcare patients around the globe. These plasma-derived medicines treat immune disorders, rare diseases, burn victims, cancer patients, and other illnesses. Treating just one patient for a year requires 130 – 1,200 plasma donations from healthy donors.
"The U.S. is one of the few countries that allow healthcare companies to compensate donors for their time donating plasma," said Blair McKinney, Chief Operations Officer of ImmunoTek. "In addition to donor compensation, our centers create healthcare-oriented jobs and support for local businesses. We anticipate the new Jefferson City center will have a $5 million economic benefit to the community."
Plasma is the golden liquid part of blood and has such a unique biological makeup that scientists cannot create it synthetically. The U.S. provides 2/3 of the plasma used worldwide, so every donation is critical to making the medicines many people depend on for their quality of life.
“For patients with life-altering medical conditions, receiving donated plasma can mean the difference between life and death,” said Jerome Parnell III, CEO of ImmunoTek. “Not only is plasma used to create valuable therapies and vaccines, but recent research also shows promise with plasma-derived therapies reducing or limiting the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.”
To be eligible to donate plasma, a medical screening is conducted by in-house medical professionals, along with a medical history and physical exam. Donating plasma is much like making a blood donation. A safe, sterile, automated process called plasmapheresis separates plasma from the blood and returns the remaining red blood cells to the donor. Donors can give plasma up to twice a week.
“Plasma donations are a great act of kindness that will leave an impact on someone in vital need while also putting extra money in donors’ pockets,” said Matthew Hubble, Center Manager of the new Jefferson City ImmunoTek Plasma.
ImmunoTek Plasma's new Jefferson City location is at 2021 Missouri Blvd and will operate Tuesday – Saturday. Walk-in donors are welcome for their first donation, and subsequent donations are by appointment only. If you need more information or want to make an appointment, call the center at 573-415-2414 or visit www.immunotek.com.
ABOUT IMMUNOTEK PLASMA
Operated by ImmunoTek Bio Centers LLC, ImmunoTek Plasma provides a chance for plasma donors to positively impact the lives of patients who rely on plasma-based therapies while being compensated for their time. We proudly operate state-of-the-art plasma collection facilities staffed with friendly plasma professionals committed to safety and quality.
ABOUT IMMUNOTEK BIO CENTERS, LLC
ImmunoTek Bio Centers LLC is the world's largest and fastest-growing independent plasma collection center operator. ImmunoTek is a global leader in developing a reliable plasma supply chain for international biotech companies and partnering with organizations for ancillary projects related to blood-plasma collection. Since its inception in 2013, ImmunoTek has built and operated more than 70 plasma collection centers, most of which have achieved or are in the process of attaining U.S. FDA licensure and European certification. ImmunoTek currently has centers operating in 19 states, with 22 additional centers under development, and planning underway for more than 60 additional sites over the next three years. For more information, visit ImmunoTek.com.
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Contacts
Sandy Santo
Director of Marketing
817-767-9772
mediainquiries@immunotek.com
