login
Become a member
Quick Registration
Full Registration Benefits -
Free Homepages for Doctors
Free Homepages for Hospitals
Free Homepages for Medical Conference
Free Homepages for NGO's
Personal Health Record Creation
Access to all Medical Slides
Access to all Jobs & Products Sale
New Guidelines to Avoid Heparin Contamination
Heparin, a blood thinner used by millions of patients during kidney dialysis and heart surgery to prevent blood clots, is normally produced from pig intestines.
After reports of allergic reactions to heparin began appearing in November 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration found that a substitute synthetic compound called oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) had caused the toxic reactions.
Chinese officials rejected the FDA's conclusions, saying the chemical had nothing to do with the allergies and deaths, but the FDA began testing heparin imports for OSCS in 2008 to assure safety of the drug stocks.
The new guidelines are directed toward companies who use crude heparin to manufacture drugs and medical devices.
Manufacturers are urged to test the origin of crude heparin to make sure it comes from pigs, test for OSCS in each shipment before using it, and know who handles the crude heparin along each step of the process.
"Substitution of non-porcine sources of crude heparin raises concerns," said the FDA, particularly due to the risk of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, infiltrating products.
"The control of the animal origin of crude heparin is critical to ensure the safety of drugs and devices that contain heparin and to protect public health."
The guidelines are subject to a 60-day review and comment period and are not legally enforceable during this period.
Source-AFP
|
|
 Comment & Contribute
|
- Health News Index
- News Quick Links
 | News Central | | Health Watch | |
| Latest Health News | | Health In Focus | |
| News Category (500+) | | Breaking Health News | |
| Popular News | | Celebrating Life | |
| Health News and Press Release | | Medindia - Exclusive | |
| News Photo Gallery | | India Special | |
| News Video Gallery | | Lifestyle and Wellness | |
| News From Other Resources | |||
| News Categories: |
| » | Compound Responsible for Yellow Color in Turmeric Boosts Immune System |
| » | Consuming Monkey Meat may be Invitation to New Disease |
| » | Vegetarian Diet Could Help Improve Athlete's Performance |
| » | Research: Bright Colored Chips can Cut Consumption by Half |
| » | Olympic Athlete's Body Via the 80-10-10 Raw Vegan Diet |
| More Diet News | |
|
Drug Related News |
||||||||
| » | New Quality Standards in Medicines | » | Drug for Irregular Heartbeat Gets Green Signal | |||||
| » | Schizophrenia Drug Differentiates Cancer Stem Cells into Less Threatening Cells | » | Docs Who Seldom Meet Drug Reps Continue to Prescribe Drugs With FDA “Black Box” Warnings | |||||
| » | Revision in Quality Standards for Heparin | » | Acne Drug Users At High Risk of Developing Eye Infections | |||||
| » | Patients Who Take Antidepressants When in ICU More Likely to Die | » | New Tablet Coating Product by Ideal Cures, In Geneva | |||||
| Read More >> | ||||||||
