By Morgan Bryce
Staff Reporter
Grifol’s, a global healthcare company and leader in blood and plasma therapy research, is opening a plasma donation center in Opelika’s Pepperell Corners shopping center April 14.
According to Grifol’s Public Affairs Manager Colin Seal, the 15,000-sq. ft. facility will have state-of-the-art technology and equipment, and a 35-member staff.
Plasma obtained at the center will be used for research and treating patients with rare and chronic diseases. Seal said donations are important, because conditions like the genetic disorder Alpha-1 antitrypsin, can require more than 900 plasma donations per patient for a year of treatment.
“The need for blood and plasma is ever present, and we want to expand and continue to try to meet that need,” Seal said.
Plasma is donated through a process called plasmapheresis, which separates plasma from blood cells. Once the plasma has been separated, the blood cells are streamed back into the body. The donor will be replenished with a bag of saline solution to resolve the electrolyte imbalance caused by the procedure.
Seal said new donors will first undergo a thorough health screening evaluation, and will be able to give plasma twice a week, with 48 hours between donations, and can expect nearly $35 per donation.
Grifol’s was founded by hematologist Dr. Jose Antonio Grifols Roig and his two sons, and became incorporated in 1940. The company has seen exponential growth since it began, and now has 175 research and donation centers.
Seal said Grifol’s decision to expand into Opelika was because of its rapid growth and diverse economy, and that they are excited to see the impact that it makes on the area.
“I think we’re always looking for a healthy population, a community that is constantly expanding and evolving, and I think you see that with the types of businesses that are here in Opelika. There’s a lot of great people here … I think we’re going to be able to find qualified folks from Opelika to come work with us, we’re going to find healthy donors that are interested,” Seal said. “It’s really kind of this cross of economic development and population, and I think that for us, it was a no-brainer deciding to come to Opelika.”
For more information, visit www.grifolsusa.com/en/web/eeuu.