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Lobbying by Cord Blood Banks

November 2004

Reported only on this website:
(Reference: US Senate Office of Public Records Lobby Filing Disclosure Program.)

NY Blood Center (NYBC) and Thermogenesis have both contracted lobbyists to promote the “national cord blood cell network” to Congress and the federal administration. The NYBC spent $80,000 in 2002 via Walden Associates. The Livingston Group was hired between Jan. 2003 and June 2004 for the same stated purpose, and received almost $170,00 from NYBC and $160,000 from Thermogenesis.
National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) contracted the lobbying firm Patton Boggs regarding numerous Congressional bills which effect their programs, including the NMDP reauthorization, HHS appopriations, the "Cord Blood Stem Cell Act 2003", and human cloning bans which restrict stem cell usage. Through them, the NMDP spent $200,000 on lobbying in 2003 and another $200,000 during the first half of 2004. The NMDP also lobbied under their own name, spending $260,000 in 2003 and $200,000 in the first half of 2004 to lobby the House and Senate appropriations committees to maintain their funding level.
Bonfils Blood Center Foundation, a non-profit public bank in Colorado which participates in the NMDP network, also hired Patton Boggs and spent $40,000 on lobbying during the first half of 2004 on the topic of FY2005 Labor/HHS appropriations.
Stemcyte, a for-profit public bank in California which participates in the NMDP network, has spent $470,000 on lobbying over the period from Jan 2002 to June 2004. This was split between 5 different firms, for the stated purposes of: lobbying on medical research, to seek Congressional support of federal funding for an umbilical cord blood bank, and bioterrorisim readiness.
Cryobanks International, a for-profit company which has campaigned for state laws mandating education about cord blood donation, for which they provide services, has no lobbying contributions listed under their name.
Cord Blood Registry, a private bank, spent $60,000 in the first half of 2004 on the specific lobbying issues of S.1717 and HR.2852 (these are the Senate and House bills for the national cord blood program).
Viacell, also a private bank, spent $70,000 over the years 2002 and 2003 to lobby Congress on the stated topic of biological research.