Enzi Says Approval of Cord Blood Bill Offers New Hope for Treatment of Devastating Illnesses
Enzi Says Approval of Cord Blood Bill Offers New Hope for Treatment of Devastating Illnesses
Washington, D.C. - A U.S. Senate Committee chaired by U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., approved a bill today designed to expand access to life-saving therapies for many Americans facing devastating illnesses such as leukemia.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously approved S. 1317, the "Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005."
"The goal of this bill is to ensure that individuals in need of transplants receive appropriately matched transplant materials," Enzi said. "Cord blood and bone marrow are non-controversial sources of stem cells and they have proven track records as therapies."
Stem cells in cord blood are able to replace many diseased tissues with healthy ones. They also are proven and effective therapies for diseases such as leukemia, sickle cell, Fanconi's anemia, Krabbe's disease and severe combined immunodeficiency.
The bill, introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, will allow qualified cord blood stem cell banks to assist in establishing and maintaining a National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network, which will:
acquire, tissue-type, test, cryopreserve and store donated units of human cord blood acquired with the informed consent of the donor;
make cord blood units available to transplant centers for stem cell transplantations; and
make cord blood units that are not appropriate for clinical use available for peer-reviewed research.
S.1317 authorizes up to $34 million of support in Fiscal Year 2006, with another $53 million in each of the following years, up to Fiscal Year 2010. The funding will not only cover the establishment of the National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network but also continue the bone marrow registry program.
"The initial costs of creating a network of cord blood units with an inventory appropriate for the entire nation are high," Enzi said. "For that reason, and because of the important public health need that is currently unmet, it is appropriate for a government program to help start up this network."
Enzi noted strong support for the bill and pledged to work for final passage by the full Senate as soon as possible.
http://enzi.senate.gov/cordbill.htm