New plasma center planned in Champaign
Apr. 25—CHAMPAIGN — Less than a year after plans for a new plasma-collection center in Urbana were abandoned, a different plasma company is making plans to open a new center in Champaign.
BioLife Plasma Services, a subsidiary of Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., has been searching for employees, including a collection center manager, in Champaign, according to online job posts.
In response to an inquiry from The News-Gazette, BioLife confirmed it plans to open a new center in Champaign in spring 2024, but declined to provide further details, including the location, until closer to the opening date.
BioLife hasn't been in touch with city planners and hasn't yet sought a building permit, according to city officials.
BioLife will join three plasma-collection centers in Champaign-Urbana, including CSL Plasma at 312 W. Kirby Ave., C, Talecris Plasma Resources at 241 S. Mattis Ave., C, and Kedplasma USA at 907 N. Lincoln Ave., U.
A fourth would have been Octapharma Plasma, which was working with city officials in Urbana to open a new center at the former Save-A-Lot grocery, but the project required a special-use permit and the company eventually withdrew its plans for Urbana.
Plasma is a component in the blood, and the plasma collected from donors is used in a variety of medical treatments.
BioLife, founded in 2002, announced the opening of its 200th plasma center in the U.S. in late March. The company has more than 230 plasma-collection centers in the U.S. and Europe.
In announcing its 200th U.S. location, BioLife said each of its plasma centers create up to 70 new jobs and brings $4 million to $5 million in contributions to a local community through donor compensation.
In Illinois, BioLife has plasma centers in Addision, Bolingbrook, Chicago, DeKalb, Harwood Heights, Joliet, Rockford and Villa Park.
