ABMDR Lab in Yerevan passes European regulatory inspection with flying colors
The unique facility is the only EFI-accredited lab in the entire region
Los Angeles, April 26, 2012 – The international scientific community once again gave high marks to the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), following the triennial inspection this month of its HLA Typing Laboratory in Yerevan.
The extensive onsite inspection, which took place on April 23, was the third to be carried out since 2006, and resulted in the renewal of the ABMDR lab’s accreditation by the European Federation of Immunogenetics (EFI). An international agency that regulates bone marrow registries across the world, the EFI sets and maintains standards and protocols, provides various forums for scientific exchange, supports research and training, and develops relations with organizations in the field. The ABMDR HLA Typing Lab is the first facility of its kind and the only EFI-accredited lab in the entire Caucasus region.
The inspection of the lab on April 23 was conducted by EFI inspectors Dr. Ingrid Faé of Austria and Dr. Elisaveta Naumova of Bulgaria. Within the framework of the accreditation process, the inspectors examined the lab’s equipment and operational standards, evaluated the skills level of the staff, and reviewed the integrity of tissue-typing, storage, and other specialized procedures. The inspectors also met with high-ranking ABMDR executives including Dr. Frieda Jordan, president; Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executive director; and Dr. Mihran Nazaretyan, medical director.
Doctors Faé and Naumova concluded their inspection with high praise for the ABMDR lab’s scientific and technical excellence, thereby approving the renewal of the facility’s EFI accreditation.
Dr. Frieda Jordan, who had traveled to Armenia to be on hand for the inspection of the lab, expressed great delight at ABMDR’s latest milestone. “Whenever the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry is given kudos by the international scientific community, and the EFI in particular, our work becomes all the more worthwhile,” she said. “I thank the EFI inspectors for their conscientious effort to maintain the highest possible standards in the field of immunogenetics. I also convey my heartfelt gratitude to our outstanding staff, as well as volunteers and supporters worldwide, for making ABMDR’s life-saving mission possible.”
About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry: Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 21,554 donors in 14 countries across three continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 13 bone marrow transplants.
For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.
ABMDR lab staff with EFI inspectors.
A scene from a meeting between ABMDR executive staff, including Dr. Frieda Jordan (third from left), and EFI inspectors Dr. Ingrid Faé (far left) and Dr. Elisaveta Naumova (far right).
[PHOTO CREDIT] Photos courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.