| ■ Three More Countries Recall Heparin | 2008.03.31 |
| Denmark, France and Italy have announced recalls of the blood-thinning drug heparin or its ingredients due to suspected contamination with a chemical called oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. Similar recalls have been announced in Germany and the United States. There have been no adverse reports of people taking heparin in Denmark, France or Italy, the Wall Street Journal reported. Officials in those countries believe oversulfated chondroitin sulfate is the contaminant, but that hasn't been confirmed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it knows of 19 people who died after taking heparin, apparently from allergic reactions. Hundreds of other patients have become ill. FDA officials are "in communication with the regulatory authorities in [European] countries and are still vigorously pursuing our investigation," Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a prepared statement, the Wall Street Journal reported. It's believed that Chinese-made heparin ingredients are the source of the contamination. |