Traces found in batch used for immune deficiencies caused by illnesses including leukaemia, hepatitis and rabies
China is facing its latest medical scandal after a large batch of human blood plasma treatment was found to be contaminated with HIV.
The batch of intravenous immunoglobulin – an immune therapy treatment made with antibodies from blood plasma – was produced by China’s second-biggest medical blood products manufacturer, the state-owned Shanghai Xinxing Pharmaceutical Company.
Dated Tuesday, a statement from the National Health Commission (NHC) warned hospitals to immediately suspend use of the batch after the provincial health commission and disease control centre of eastern China’s Jiangxi detected traces of HIV in it.
A representative of Jiangxi Provincial Disease Control Centre told The Beijing News on Wednesday that the contaminated Shanghai Xinxing batch had been reported to the NHC and that it had not yet discovered any cases of patients having contracted HIV.
The faulty batch comprised 12,229 50ml bottles of plasma due to expire in June 2021, a source from the state food and drug regulator told the China Business Journal.
Immunoglobulins are antibodies produced by white blood cells that are used to treat immune deficiencies caused by illnesses such as leukaemia, hepatitis and rabies.
