Timeline of Major Achievements

Founding of FACT

YearAchievements
1992 ASBMT Clinical Affairs Committee developed the first Clinical Standards for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation.

Parent organization International Society for Hematotherapy and Graft Engineering (ISHAGE) formed. (Currently named International Society Cell & Gene Therapy [ISCT].)
1993 Parent organization American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) formed. (Currently named American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy [ASTCT].)

Regulatory Affairs Committee of ISHAGE developed first draft of laboratory standards for Hematopoietic Cell Collection and Processing.
1994 ASBMT Clinical Standards for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and ISHAGE laboratory Standards for Hematopoietic Cell Collection and Processing merged into a single document.

North American Task Force (NATF) concluded that FACT Standards were of sufficiently high quality to serve as a template for the other organizations involved in this field.
1995 Co-founded by ASBMT and ISCT, the Foundation for the Accreditation of Hematopoietic Cell Therapy (FAHCT) was formed for the purpose of:
  1. establishing standards for quality medical and laboratory practice
  2. implementing voluntary inspection and accreditation program

FACT Pivotal Events

YearAchievements
1996First edition of FAHCT Standards for Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Collection, Processing & Transplantation published.
1997Inspection and Accreditation program began.
1998First cell therapy transplant programs awarded FAHCT accreditation.
1999FAHCT Standards adopted by JACIE (Joint Accreditation Committee EBMT-ISCT).
2000FAHCT and NetCord partnered to develop international standards for cord blood collection, processing, testing, banking, selection, and release.
2001Name changed to the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) to encompass, in addition to hematopoietic cell products and therapies, new and exciting therapies such as those using mesenchymal stem cells, dendritric cells, targeted lymphocytes, genetically modified cells, pancreatic islets, and others.
2002 Second Edition of FACT Cellular Therapy Standards published.
Cord Blood Bank Inspection and Accreditation program began.
2006 FACT celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Third Edition of Cellular Therapy Standards developed and published jointly by FACT and JACIE.
Third Edition of Cord Blood Standards developed and published jointly by FACT and NetCord.
2007 FACT committee structure established to lead the organization’s strategic initiatives.

FACT accreditation added to methodology to determine the U.S. News & World report rankings of transplant centers for the "America's Best Hospitals" and "America's Best Children's Hospitals" lists.
2008 Educational efforts expanded to include online webinars and tutorials.
Fourth Edition of FACT-JACIE Cellular Therapy Standards published.
2010Fourth Edition of NetCord-FACT Cord Blood Standards published.
2012 Fifth Edition of FACT-JACIE Cellular Therapy Standards published.
FACTWeb online accreditation portal launched.
Accreditation of laboratories performing more-than-minimal manipulation began.
FACT accredited first cell therapy programs in Brazil and Asia.
2013 Fifth Edition of NetCord-FACT Cord Blood Standards published.
New Task Forces launched – Clinical Outcomes, Data Management, and Payer Relations.
FACT Consulting Services piloted to assist transplant centers.
FACT accredited first cord blood banks in Greece and Hong Kong.
2014 FACT accredited first cord blood bank in Brazil.
FACT accredited first private cord blood bank in the United States.
2015 Sixth Edition of FACT-JACIE Cellular Therapy Standards published.
First Edition of FACT Common Standards for Cellular Therapies published.
FACT accredited first cord blood banks in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
FACT Consulting Services officially launched.
2016 FACT celebrated its 20th anniversary.
FACT began formally reviewing clinical outcomes.
Sixth Edition of NetCord-FACT Cord Blood Standards published.
FACT accredited first cell therapy program in Mexico.
FACT accredited first cord blood banks in India and Cyprus.
2017 First Edition of FACT Standards for Immune Effector Cells published.
FACT and Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) began collaborative data audit program.
FACT accredited first cord blood bank in Portugal.
2018 Seventh Edition of FACT-JACIE Cellular Therapy Standards published.
FACT and the Sociedade Brasileira de Transplante de Medula Óssea (SBTMO) announced formal partnership to develop joint FACT-SBTMO Cellular Therapy Accreditation Program in Brazil.
New FACT accreditation portal launched.
2019 Second Edition of FACT Common Standards for Cellular Therapies published.
Ask FACT

FAQ

FACT Consulting

Accreditation Success Story

Hoxworth Blood Center Apheresis Collection Facility and its Cellular Therapies Division have been accredited by FACT since 2003. The program values their FACT accreditation and the impact it has had on their program’s continuous quality improvement objectives. Read more