Your one donation could help many people
Curious about Be The Match BioTherapies? You’ve come to the right place. You might be asking yourself if Be The Match BioTherapies is a real organization. Or you might be wondering if your donation will really help someone. Be The Match BioTherapies is part of Be The Match®. Your donation will be used to create cell or gene therapies that could help multiple people!
How can I sign up for Be The Match BioTherapies opportunities?
This opportunity is available to Be The Match Registry members.
- Already have an account? Log in to your member profile. You can opt in to participate in Be The Match BioTherapies from the homepage.
- Don’t have a member profile yet? Create an account. Once you’re signed in, you can get access to this program from the homepage.
- If you’re not on the Be The Match Registry, join today!
What is Be The Match BioTherapies?
Be The Match BioTherapies donors played a critical role in bringing a new life-saving treatment to patients. And this treatment was different from any before it.
Be The Match launched Be The Match BioTherapies in 2016 to support organizations that are creating next-generation cell and gene therapies. We’re using the unique capabilities we developed to support patients who need a blood stem cell transplant to help bring new therapies to other patients.
For example, we help organizations find the best donors for their cell and gene therapies, contact the donors and arrange their blood cell collection, and transport the blood cells to the right place to be manufactured into a potentially life-saving cell or gene therapy.
We broadened the scope of what we do because not everyone who needs a blood stem cell transplant has a donor match, and transplants aren’t perfect. Complications can arise that impact lives greatly or are fatal. People like you are critical to making sure patients get the treatment they need when they need it.
All you have to do is opt-in to be a Be The Match BioTherapies donor. We already have your sample and will match you with the right opportunity.
If I opt in, am I still on the Be The Match Registry®?
Yes! You are still on the Be The Match Registry and could be matched with a patient who needs a blood stem cell transplant.
Opting in to be a potential Be The Match BioTherapies donor only means you’ve multiplied your odds of helping patients.
How do I help save a life if I’m a Be The Match BioTherapies donor?
Leah, Be The Match BioTherapies donor
If you’re asked to donate, it’s because you have genetic characteristics that are needed for a therapy to help specific patients or to develop a therapy that’s still being researched.
What’s incredible is you have the potential to help many people (possibly hundreds) with your single donation.
That’s what inspired Leah to say “yes” when she got the call to be a Be The Match BioTherapies donor.
“To think my cells could be developed into a therapy that would help not just one person, but many … it’s pretty cool,” she said. “For me, this was just as meaningful and impactful as a traditional blood stem cell donation.”
If my donation is for a clinical trial or research, will it still help a patient?
Be The Match BioTherapies donor Lindsay has touched many lives. About 10 patients have benefited from the cell therapy treatment made from her cells.
When you hear “clinical trial” or “research,” it can be easy to think your donation won’t help a patient. However, your donation is crucial. Most cell therapies are still being studied in clinical trials. That means the therapy is being given to smaller numbers of people to make sure it works.
Clinical trials and research are the key to finding new or improved treatments for diseases that could help thousands of people. Examples of the diseases that cell and gene therapies in development could be used to treat include:
- Blood cancers and blood diseases
- Life-threatening infections
- Cancers like lung cancer and colon cancer
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Many of these therapies rely on a donor who has specific genetic characteristics.
Are there reasons I might not be able to donate for Be The Match BioTherapies?
If you’re a match for a Be The Match BioTherapies opportunity, we’ll discuss your health history with you. During that conversation, you may learn that you can’t donate for Be The Match BioTherapies but may still be eligible to donate to a patient in need of a blood stem cell transplant.
Our cell and gene therapy partners are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and, depending on the therapy being made, may also be regulated by international requirements. A single donation from one person can potentially be manufactured into many doses that are given to different patients all over the world. That means the regulations and requirements may be different than those for blood stem cell transplants.
Examples of when a person may not be able to donate for a cell and gene therapy include when they:
- Are pregnant
- Have gotten a tattoo in the past 12 months
- Have had a recent surgery or hospital admission
- Are a man who has had sex with another man in the past 5 years
- Are a woman who has had sex with a man who has had sex with a man in the past 5 years
- Have a new autoimmune disorder diagnosis
- Have traveled to a region with known Zika, malaria or other specific infectious disease risk
The medical guidelines and regulations are in place to protect you as a potential donor, as well as the health of the patients receiving the therapy. For many people, it’s upsetting or frustrating to learn they can’t donate. We understand. We’re committed to medical safety while also advocating for our donors—like those regulations impacting the LGBTQIA+ community.
Even if you’re not eligible for Be The Match BioTherapies, we want to assure you that you’ll continue to be on the Be The Match Registry® and may still be able to donate to a patient in need of a blood stem cell transplant if you’re a match!
If you have questions about eligibility for donation, please contact our team to discuss.
If I have more questions, where can I get answers?
Contact our representatives if you have questions about Be The Match BioTherapies. We would be happy to connect with you!
Ready to be part of a groundbreaking opportunity? You can opt in to be a Be The Match BioTherapies donor here.