National Dr. Jeffrey Chell, CEO of the National Marrow Donor Program, and Michael Boo, Chief Strategy Officer of the NMDP, participated in an editorial board meeting with the Los Angeles Times to discuss the issue of compensation for peripheral blood stem cell donors. Following this meeting, the publication issued an editorial about the risks associated with paying marrow donors.
Patient safety was among the article’s top concerns. The editorial noted sellers of plasma are 100 times more likely than donors to have — and deny — a medical condition that could potentially endanger the recipient. In addition, the article explained that if the U.S. pays donors, it would cut off patients’ access to international donors due to global compliance standards.