On the 11th, Korea Daiichi Sankyo announced that it signed a 'Life-sharing Blood Donation Business Agreement (MOU) to Support Cancer Patient Treatment' with the Seoul Eastern Blood Center of the Korean Red Cross in celebration of 'Blood Donor Day' on the 14th.
This agreement was made to support the treatment of cancer patients by raising awareness of the risks of blood-related complications that may occur in cancer patients and the importance of transfusions, as well as to cooperate in spreading the culture of blood donation. According to the agreement, Korea Daiichi Sankyo will participate in regular blood donations and join campaigns to improve awareness of blood donation. As the first activity for this purpose, employees of Korea Daiichi Sankyo participated in group blood donation on the morning of the same day.
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are at high risk of experiencing blood-related side effects due to decreased bone marrow function. Among these, thrombocytopenia is a common side effect not only in hematologic cancer patients but also in solid tumor patients. It is known that 1 in 2 hematologic cancer patients and 1 in 3 solid tumor patients experience chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT).
The most important treatment for these symptoms is transfusion. Approximately 38% of the total blood donation volume and 71% of donated platelets in Korea are used for cancer patient treatment. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of blood donors has recently decreased sharply, and with the continuous population decline, the instability of the domestic blood supply is increasing. The annual number of blood donors in Korea, which exceeded 3 million in 2015, decreased to about 2.6 million in 2021, and as the total population decreases along with the eligible donor population, it is expected that blood demand will surpass blood donation volume by 2028. Meanwhile, the demand for platelet products is steadily increasing and is projected to reach about twice the current supply by 2033.
Moon Won-il, Director of the Seoul Eastern Blood Center, said, “As the supply of blood continues to decrease, the need for blood support for patients with severe diseases including cancer is also increasing,” and added, “We hope that through this agreement with Korea Daiichi Sankyo, a blood donation culture that can save the lives of cancer patients, who are our neighbors and family, will be established.”
Kim Jeong-tae, CEO of Korea Daiichi Sankyo, said, “With the continuous increase in the number of cancer patients, the stable supply of blood products essential for improving treatment outcomes is a challenge our society faces, and the importance of blood donation will be further emphasized,” and added, “As a specialized pharmaceutical company in the oncology field, Korea Daiichi Sankyo will actively participate in improving awareness of blood donation and strive to provide practical treatment support so that cancer patients can focus on treatment and recovery.”
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