Chinese Heparin Was Probably Cut with Counterfeit Substance

-eNews 2.0

03/19/2008 -  Federal drug regulators announced that the blood-thinning drug Heparin that had been linked to several deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions was contaminated with a fake ingredient got there by mistake or by fraud. The New York Times now reports that the substance used to cut heparin appears to be made from animal cartilage and is seems chemically altered to act like the real drug.

The substance is allegedly over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate, but it is unclear that this was the cause of allergies and deaths. It is also unclear hos it got mixed up in heparin. Chondroitin is also used medically to treat joint pain, but in its natural state it does not have anti-coagulant properties.

“A child could tell you it’s counterfeiting,” said Dr. Jawed Fareed, a professor of pathology and pharmacology at Loyola University Chicago, quoted by New York Times.

The FDA had already requested all heparin manufacturers to conduct specialized nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy tests to ensure that the drug, which is derived from pig intestines, is safe.

Routine tests haven’t revealed anything wrong in the heparin produced by Baxter. But high-tech tests, based on magnetic resonance imaging, uncovered that around 20 percent of the product’s active ingredient was a heparin-like compound, a substance that was not found in batches of problem-free heparin. The contaminant is so chemically close to real heparin that Baxter’s standard routine testing could not reveal its presence.

Heparin is derived from pig intestines, and apparently, the heparin-like contaminant is related to a group of chemicals that can also be found in pig intestines. This makes it difficult for the specialists to decide whether the contaminant was blended in the heparin accidentally or intentionally.

Baxter, which used to provide about half of the nation’s heparin supply, recalled all of its heparin products in February, after the blood thinner they manufactured was linked to hundreds of reports of allergic reactions, such as nausea, vomiting and difficult breathing.

If you or a loved one have experienced Heparin Sodium Injection side effects you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Heparin attorneys of Ennis & Ennis today for a free confidential case evaluation. Our on staff nurse and lawyers are standing by to answer any questions you may have regarding Heparin side effects, a possible Heparin class action lawsuit, or any other type of Heparin Sodium Injection litigation.