UK approves British plasma in pharmaceuticals | Europe Updated | D.W.

The British government announced this Thursday (02/25/2021) that it was re-approving the use of British blood plasma to make the drug, 23 years after it was banned for fear of human variant of mad cow disease.

“I am glad that we can finally remove this barrier by following the recommendations of the experts, which will enable thousands of patients to access the rapid treatment that can save the lives of James Bethel,” the Secretary of State for Health said in a statement. The UK can “get self-sufficient” in this regard. Scotland has taken a similar step.

Until now, the country has relied on the import of blood plasma (such as antibody deficiency, chronic cancer treatment) to produce certain drugs used by people with immune problems, especially from the United States.

The good news is that global demand for plasma under constant pressure has risen with the COVID-19 epidemic in recent years, due to a “significant drop in donations in the United States.”

The UK collects 350,000 liters of plasma

“The government will introduce a new arrangement to ensure that British plasma is used primarily for British patients and not exported,” the statement said.

The UK banned the use of British blood plasma in pharmaceuticals in 1998 for fear of spreading the human variant of Greedsfield-Jacob disease, also known as BSE spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Crazy cows.

According to experts from the Independent Commission on Human Drugs (CHM), the use of this plasma, which is of British origin, is now “safe and can be resumed thanks to stronger safety measures”. British Health Service (MHRA) by the end of 2020.

Each year the British Public Health Service (NHS) collects about 350,000 liters of blood plasma in hospitals, of which 100,000 liters is used for transfusion.

Until now, the remaining 250,000 liters of drugs could not be used for production because other countries had thrown away their shares as well.

“We are very pleased that donations from our donors can now save and improve more lives in the years to come,” said Betsy Bassis, Managing Director of the NHS Blood and Transplant Division.

(afp)