CBS said in a statement, which was first reported by the Globe and Mailwas tasked with looking at ways to meet the demand for immunoglobulins in Canada and that “dialogue with commercial suppliers is necessarily part of that.”
CBS’ statement comes amid ongoing shortages in plasma collection in Canada. “We’ve tried for a long time to get more and more plasma, to collect more plasma. But like every other country in the world that doesn’t compensate donors, we find that we’re constantly falling behind in collections,” said Peter Jaworski. , professor of business ethics at Georgetown University, who grew up in Canada.
Plasma is the protein-rich fluid in the blood that helps blood components circulate throughout the body. It is used by people with immune deficiencies and rare blood disorders, kidney and liver disease, various cancer patients and others, according to CBS.
Health Canada states on its website that “not enough plasma has been collected in Canada to meet demand,” with most of the plasma products distributed by CBS and Héma-Quebec having been purchased from US manufacturers and produced from plasma donor paid by the US.
Advocates say that instead of turning to private collectors, CBS should double down on its collection strategy to meet demand.
“To be clear, there is no shortage of donors in Canada. It’s not a shortage of plasma. It’s a lack of infrastructure,” said Kat Lanteigne, executive director of BloodWatch.org, a non-profit organization that advocates for a safe, voluntary, public blood system. in Canada.
“Because Canadian Blood Services was slow to develop their plan, that’s why we’re here today, and there’s nothing stopping them from opening more plasma collection centers.”
WATCHES | Plasma donations in Canada are far below needs:
Faced with a shortage, Canadian Blood Services is considering partnering with private plasma collectors
Canadian Blood Services is considering partnering with private companies that pay for plasma donations to help address the shortage of plasma. He added that this was a “secret deal” to turn the Canadian plasma into a profit-driven business. “They know that private pharmaceutical companies might sell some of that plasma to Canadian Blood Services or some of that product. And that can be in contract. “[CBS] you also know that the majority of this creature who [private companies are] is going to collect will be sold on the international market,” Lanteigne said.
Plasma supply
CBS says it is in ongoing discussions about an end-to-end domestic immunoglobulin supply chain so it can reduce Canada’s “dependence on the global market.” He says he’s working to get at least half of the plasma from donors in Canada. CBS collects plasma from donors at various locations across Canada, but collects only about 15 percent of the plasma it needs, according to its website. A spokesperson also went on to say the organization is on track to hit about 25 per cent by recently opening 11 plasma donor centers in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. Kat Lanteigne, executive director of BloodWatch.org, says CBS needs to be more transparent about its dealings. (Andy Hincenbergs/CBC) For regular donor Tony Reddin, who lives in Bonshaw, PEI, hearing about the CBS discussions is troubling. “I don’t think I would continue to donate to a for-profit company. It goes against the whole idea of donating, of actually doing a good deed.” Lanteigne adds that CBS should have this discussion publicly so people understand what’s at stake. “It is critical for us as a country to have dominance and control over our supply chain through our national blood provider. Basically, this is just a bad business deal that puts our supply chain at risk,” he said. In 2018, a panel of experts assembled by Health Canada published a report looking at long-term national supply. Its members then found that some of the biggest barriers to using paid donors for plasma are concerns about the safety of products made from paid donors, ethical concerns about the “commercialization of human plasma,” and that paying people for plasma would reduce the number of volunteer donors. In a statement, Health Canada told CBC News that studies have shown plasma safety is the same between voluntary and paid plasma. “As such, payment for plasma is not a safety issue and is not regulated under the Food and Drug Act,” the statement said. Provincial and territorial governments currently decide how plasma is collected in their areas. Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia are the only provinces that do not allow paid plasma donations, Health Canada said in a statement.
“Cheaper” Plasma Market
The federal commission in 2018 also said that plasma programs based on voluntary donations cannot meet the country’s goals. The report went on to say that using volunteer donors is two to four times more expensive than commercial plasma collection, making it “more cost-effective” for jurisdictions to purchase immunoglobulin from the commercial market. Blood donations are often divided into components. The yellow liquid at the top is the plasma, which contains nutrients and immune molecules such as antibodies. (Hiep Vu) Plasma is mainly used in two ways in the country: It can be transfused into people directly in hospitals and turned into specialized medicines. In Canada and around the world, the most widely used plasma protein products are immunoglobulins, says the national blood organization. Jaworski says Canada is currently having trouble securing immunoglobulin and says Canada is currently too dependent on the US for plasma. That’s why it should consider plasma from paid donors. “This is one way to make sure we can have enough treatments for every Canadian patient who needs them,” he said. The national blood organization says it will provide more information about plans to increase the supply “as soon as there is something to share”. Plasma is used in Canada through transfusions to hospital patients or made into specific drugs, CBS says. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)
