FDA: Heparin produced in China had possible counterfeit ingredient

[deminks]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/health/06heparin.html

WASHINGTON — Federal drug regulators said Wednesday that a critical blood thinner that had been linked to at least 19 deaths and whose raw components were produced in China contained a possibly counterfeit ingredient that mimicked the real drug.

Routine tests failed to distinguish the contaminant from the drug, heparin. Only sophisticated magnetic resonance imaging tests uncovered that as much as 20 percent of the product’s active ingredient was a heparin mimic blended in with the real thing. Federal officials said they did not know what the contaminant was.

“At this point, we do not know whether the introduction was accidental or whether it was deliberate,” said the Food and Drug Administration’s deputy commissioner, Dr. Janet Woodcock.

(snip)

Beginning in November, public health officials received reports of patients experiencing severe allergic reactions after being given Baxter’s product. Baxter initiated a series of recalls that culminated last week in a withdrawal of nearly all of Baxter’s heparin production.

The F.D.A. has now received 785 reports of serious injuries associated with the drug’s use. Forty-six deaths have also been reported to the agency, but Dr. Woodcock said that just 19 of these appeared related to the suspect heparin. Baxter executives said that the total death toll was actually four.

[madokie]

1. I'm sure glad I had my DVT when I did as if it was to happen today I would worry myself to death

probably would have then if I had known it was made using pigs. When I came home they sent with me 5 syringes of heparin preloaded at a cost of 2000 bucks a pop, so they said, VA hospital doctors. I may not know much but I do know this and that is we can't get rid of the squatters we have in our house fast enough. I know that the dick and w didn't have anything to do with this personally but they set the stage for the play.

[soothsayer]

2. half an hour later you want your blood thinned again

[ljm2002]

5. Okay now that was funny! n/t

[AzDar]

3. Is this not terrorism? Let's invade China....or not.

:puke:

[RoseMead]

4. In the immortal words of Gomer Pyle

Surprise Surprise Surprise!

[Indenturedebtor]

6. This is what a country without regulation looks like

The Chinese are doing a fair better job of industrializing than we did back in the day, but I'm not surprised in the slightest.

Hell we're still serving up mad cow burgers, and our FDA didn't even catch that!

But man, I am so fed up with these corporate assbags! :mad:

I blame ALL OF THEM!