What is Plasmapheresis? Functions, Applications, and Benefits in the Medical Industry

Plasmapheresis is an advanced medical procedure that separates and removes plasma from human blood, either for therapeutic purposes or plasma donation.
 

But how does this process work—and why is it so important in modern medicine? In this article, we explore the mechanism of plasmapheresis, its clinical applications, and its irreplaceable impact in the development of plasma-derived medicines, which are needed for patients of several chronic and acute life-threatening diseases.

What is Plasmapheresis? Definition

Plasmapheresis is a medical intervention that involves removal, return, or exchange of blood plasma or components outside the body. Plasmapheresis consists of reintroducing blood cells and platelets back into the donor's body immediately after a donation of whole blood, retaining only the blood plasma.
 

The word comes from the old Greek word aphaíresis, “removal”, and the Latin “plasma”. Apheresis –which is also a common word in medical lexicon–, refers to the general technique of extracorporeal removal of one blood constituent, either plasma or another, while plasmapheresis’ means literally “removal of plasma”.
 

Plasmapheresis was first used in medical practice in the 1950s and has become a key method for collecting plasma and an important treatment for several diseases.
 

Plasmapheresis machine

The process typically uses an apheresis machine, which separates plasma from blood cells through centrifugation or filtration, and then returns either the blood cells (plasma donation) or the filtered remaining components along with a replacement fluid (therapeutic plasma exchange). In this last, plasmapheresis functions similarly to dialysis, but instead of removing waste from the blood, it targets the plasma—the component responsible for carrying proteins, antibodies, and other soluble factors, which may contribute to disease.

Importance of Plasmapheresis in Health and the Pharmaceutical Industry

Plasmapheresis is the cornerstone of the plasma-derived industry, responsible of delivering life-changing medicines for the treatment of rare and hereditary diseases, for many of which no alternative therapies exist.
 

Plasmapheresis in healthcare

Plasmapheresis is used to treat autoimmune, neurologic, hematologic, and transplant-related diseases, offering rapid clinical improvement by removing circulating autoantibodies, immune complexes, and inflammatory mediators. It is commonly used to manage other diseases such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and thrombotic microangiopathies.
 

Besides the use of plasmapheresis as acute treatment, it is also used to prevent relapses in chronic autoimmune diseases and serves as a bridging therapy while immunosuppressive drugs take effect. It can also be used before and after transplants, in cancer-related complications, and in rare diseases where rapid immune modulation is needed.
 

The procedure is conducted using advanced apheresis systems under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and strict regulatory oversight by agencies, ensuring high standards of safety, quality, and therapeutic efficacy.
 

Plasmapheresis in pharma

Plasmapheresis allows the large-scale plasma collection needed to manufacture plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMPs)–such as intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), coagulation factors, and albumin. These products are used to develop therapies for many patients with chronic diseases who can’t count on any other treatment to improve their quality of life.
 

The pharma industry transforms the plasma collected by plasmapheresis from donors to develop treatments for immune diseases, liver conditions, cardiopulmonary issues, hepatitis, major surgeries, wounds, burns and even trauma and shock.

Types and Classifications of Plasmapheresis

Plasmapheresis can be classified into different types based on its therapeutic purpose and the technic used to perform the plasma separation.
 

Plasmapheresis is used for two main therapeutic purposes:

• Plasma donation. Donor plasmapheresis involves the removal of a weight-adjusted volume of plasma and the return of blood cells to the donor. During the process, only the liquid portion of the blood (plasma) is collected, and blood cells are introduced back into the donor's body immediately. Plasma can be regenerated far quicker than whole blood, which allows donors to recover faster and donate more often if that’s their will.
• Therapeutic plasma exchange. Therapeutic plasma exchange is a medical treatment that removes the plasma and replaces it with a clean solution. This process gets rid of harmful substances such as autoimmune complexes, toxins, and inflammatory mediators, and helps to reset immune system activity and reduce symptoms caused by diseases.
   

There are two main techniques used in the process of plasmapheresis:

• Centrifugal Plasmapheresis:
  This method uses centrifugal force to separate blood components based on density. It is highly efficient and allows for continuous flow, making it ideal for both therapeutic procedures and donor plasma collection in plasma centres. It’s frequently used in large-scale plasma fractionation programs.
• Membrane Plasmapheresis (Filtration):
  In this technique, plasma is filtered with semi-permeable membranes from whole blood. It offers precise control over component separation and is often preferred in hospital-based procedures due to its.
   

All previous methods are performed under regulated protocols to ensure patient safety, treatment precision, and to achieve the maximum therapeutic benefit.

Process of Plasmapheresis

Registered by Grifols in 1951, plasmapheresis is a method by which blood is drawn, plasma is separated, and blood components are returned to the patient or donor through the same vein.
 

Plasmapheresis is performed using an apheresis device in a controlled medical setting and typically follows this sequence:

• Step 1: Blood Withdrawal
  Blood is drawn from the patient through a catheter or intravenous line, usually placed in the arm or via a central venous access point for high-volume exchanges. Anticoagulants are often administered to prevent clotting during the process.
• Step 2: Plasma Separation
  The collected blood is processed through an apheresis machine, which separates the plasma from the cellular components—red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets—using either centrifugation or membrane filtration, depending on the system used.
• Step 3: Plasma Removal and Replacement
  In plasma removal for donation, the separated plasma is replaced with appropriate replacement fluids, such as 5% albumin, fresh frozen plasma (FFP), or crystalloids, based on the clinical indication and patient status.
• Step 4: Reinfusion of Blood Components The remaining blood components (cells) are reinfused back into the patient’s bloodstream, along with the replacement fluid. This process may be repeated over several sessions, depending on the therapeutic objective.
   

The entire procedure is typically completed within 1.5 to 3 hours, and patients are closely monitored for vital signs, fluid balance, and potential side effects. Plasmapheresis is done under strict clinical protocols and guided by evidence-based guidelines, such as those from the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA).

Clinical or Industrial Applications of Plasmapheresis

Plasmapheresis is a highly versatile therapeutic and industrial procedure with widespread applications across multiple areas of medicine and pharmaceutical development. This dual role—therapeutic and industrial—makes plasmapheresis an indispensable tool in both clinical care and biological product development, supporting innovations in immunology, and rare disease treatment.
 

In the biopharmaceutical industry, plasmapheresis enables the collection of therapeutic plasma from healthy donors, which is processed to manufacture plasma-derived medicinal products such as immunoglobulins, clotting factors, alpha-1 antitrypsin and albumin. It is also essential in clinical research for studying immunological and hematologic conditions.
 

Plasmapheresis is also a proven therapeutic strategy for the management of immune-mediated disorders, neurologic conditions, and transplant-related complications. Its ability to quickly remove harmful plasma components makes it a frontline treatment in both acute and chronic settings.
 

Want to learn more about related topics? Explore our medical glossary here.