BOURBONNAIS – CSL Behring, a global leader in the plasma protein biotherapeutics industry, is set to open a new blood plasma donation site in Bourbonnais Township, Illinois, in early April.
The center, named CSL Blood Plasma Center, will be located on Illinois Route 50, in the former Bunge Edible Oil office property, and will feature 24 collection stations.
The center is expected to accept candidates for paid plasma donations, with individuals being able to donate plasma up to twice a week, and the site being open seven days a week.
Researchers at the center hope to collect up to 1,500 donations of plasma per week, which will be used to treat various medical conditions, including hemophilia and immune deficiencies.
CSL Behring operates 320 donor sites worldwide, with 275 located in the United States. The Kankakee County plant, where the new donation site will be located, already produces a long list of lifesaving medicines, including vaccines to prevent influenza and therapies for iron deficiency, dialysis, and nephrology.
The new center in Bourbonnais Township will add to the five existing CSL Behring plasma centers in Illinois. The other centers are located in Normal, Rockford, Urbana, and two in Chicago.
To be eligible for plasma donations, donors must be at least 18 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds, and pass a medical examination. Plasma regenerates quickly, and with proper hydration, a donor’s blood volume returns to normal within 48 hours. Because of this, donors can give plasma twice in any 7-day period, but no more than once in a 48-hour period.
