Global ProgramsFrom its beginning, cord blood banking has been a global industry. The first patient to receive a cord blood transplant and the transplanted tissue traveled across international boundaries, and the majority of units released today are shipped to patients waiting in other countries. Public and family banks, some of them multi-national, have been established around the world, and international registries are routinely searching for biocompatible tissues on behalf of physicians and patients whose health and lives depend on an appropriate match. Cord blood biology recognizes no political boundaries. Unfortunately, the laws and regulations for cord blood banking are not uniform throughout the world. CBA is striving to harmonize government regulations, seeking rules that promote safety and efficacy without unnecessary administrative and cost burdens. It is essential that government regulation not be barriers to patient access or inhibit innovations in cord blood products, technologies and services.
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