Heparin associated to 149 deaths
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jun 24 2008 at 5:16 PM
Heparin >>

U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week said that at least 149 deaths have been connected to the blood thinner heparin, up from the previous estimate of 81.

After several allergic reactions reported in November, Deerfield, IL based Baxter International, which bought the active ingredient for its heparin from Scientific Protein Laboratories (SPL) in Waunakee, recalled the extensively used drug in January.

According to the FDA, a substance known as oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (a chemically modified version of a supplement that people take to fortify joints) had tainted some heparin supply, including raw heparin from an SPL plant in China.

FDA says that Baxter has not re-entered the market and a new company has been marketing contamination-free heparin.

SPL’s China plant remains closed, pending an FDA check up.  The company keeps on manufacturing the heparin ingredient at its Waunakee plant, where 160 employees are working.

SPL’s chief executive officer David Strunce Friday said that presently it is not known how many of the 149 deaths reported Monday by the FDA are connected to Baxter’s heparin or SPL’s active ingredient.

FDA’s list includes any reported deaths in heparin patients due to low blood pressure attacks.

Strunce said that the real number can be known only if each of the deaths individually.

Heparin is a widely used as an injectable anticoagulant (blood thinner), preventing the formation of clots and extension of existing clots within the blood.  Pharmaceutical grade heparin is generally derived from mucosal tissues of certain slaughtered meat animals.