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drug_recall heparinHeparin allergic reactions and heparin-linked fatalities prompted the Feb. 2008 recall of most of the heparin products distributed in the United States by Baxter International, Inc. Heparin allergic reactions may involve the following symptoms:
Nineteen Deaths Linked to Heparin Allergic Reactions
Heparin allergic reactions may be caused by a 'counterfeit' heparin-like substance that mimics heparin but is not exactly the same. Nineteen deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to heparin allergic reactions since Jan. 1, 2007, and about 750 non-fatal adverse reactions were reported in the same period to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Heparin from China
Baxter and the FDA recently confirmed that a contaminant was present in some of the nine lots of recalled heparin, and that a contaminant was found in the active ingredient used in most of the heparin provided by Baxter. A Wisconsin company, Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC (SPL) provides the heparin to Baxter. SPL obtains heparin from its facility in Changzhou, China.
Heparin Allergic Reactions Reported in Germany Too
About 100 cases of heparin allergic reactions were recently reported to health authorities in Germany, and a preliminary investigation revealed that the heparin involved in these reactions was from a German company, Rotexmedica, that also gets its heparin from Chinese facilities (although the facilities are not the same ones as used by Baxter).
The fact that heparin allergic reactions are being traced to a variety of plants in China suggests that a contamination problem is present at a point further up the supply chain.
Most of the World's Heparin Is from China
A major portion of the heparin used throughout the world originates in China, where the pigs whose intestinal lining provides the source of heparin are raised and slaughtered. The demand for heparin in the U.S. is greater than what can be supported by the number of existing pig farms in the U.S. China exports heparin to 41 other countries and regions in addition to the U.S., and it exports the greatest amount of its heparin to Germany.
Learn More about Heparin Allergic Reactions
If a heparin allergic reaction has harmed you or your loved one, you have legal rights. Get more information from a heparin lawyer in your area today.
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