Newswire:

What You Need To Know About Heparin

It’s been linked to the death of dozens, and it’s leading to a clash between researchers and policy makers in America and China. But… what is it? [NY Times]

It’s called Heparin. And here’s the deal:

It’s a blood thinner made “from the mucous membranes of the intestines of slaughtered pigs.”

Some batches of Heparin, imported from China, contain “oversulfated chondroitin sulfate,” a contaminate the F.D.A. says comes from “unclean tanks” and “unregulated family workshops” in China.

The contaminate has been found in Heparin in 11 countries, and has been linked to severe reactions and 81 deaths in the United States.

China says it’s not their fault, and says that while the contaminant is present, it didn’t cause the deaths.

Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the Food and Drug Administration: “Heparin should not be contaminated, regardless of whether or not that contamination caused acute adverse events… We are fairly confident based on the biological information that we have had that this contaminant is capable of triggering these adverse reactions.”

Wouldn’t it be great if we could inspect these Chinese factories before they ship their contaminated product? Well, yeah, but…

A Government Accountability Office report found that “the F.D.A. would need to spend at least $56 million more next year to begin full inspections of foreign plants” and $15 million per year to keep them inspected.

Bush’s FDA budget (gasp!) doesn’t provide the funds.

The scary truth: “At its present inspection pace, the F.D.A. would need at least 27 years to inspect every foreign medical device plant that exports to the United States, 13 years to check every foreign drug plant and 1,900 years to examine every foreign food plant.”

“Unregulated family workshops” + “pig intestines” = gross.

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