The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on March 14^{th that it is taking action to stop the import of Heparin into the United States. The active ingredient of Heparin is manufactured by Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC., which has headquarters in both Wisconsin and China.}

A major recall of Heparin was announced in January, 2008. Since then, hundreds of allergic reactions and at least 19 deaths have been reported in association with Heparin use.

A spokesperson for the FDA has announced that since the end of February, no new deaths have been reported due to adverse reactions to Heparin.

The Heparin that is being stopped at the borders is manufactured by Baxter International, Inc. of Wisconsin. Baxter reports that they have not isolated the contamination, so it cannot determine if the contaminated Heparin was manufactured in their Chinese facility.

Defective drug attorneys are currently at work to help those who have faced devastating consequences due to contaminated Heparin.

With the current high cost of pharmaceuticals and continued cost increases for medicines, why is the production of medical drugs being outsourced to foreign nations?  As indicated in a recent article on Fox News entitled “FDA Finds Heparin Contaminant That Killed 19”, the blood thinner was created in China.  Is the United States economy so bad that vital medicines must be made outside the U.S.?  When is the public health placed with such a cheap price tag?  The article also indicated a less expensive compound was used and that caused the 19 deaths.  The public needs to start questioning pharmaceutical companies and hold them accountable for your health.  If you or a loved one has been harmed by a dangerous drug or product, call an attorney with Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today, at 1-800-460-0606.  The full Fox news story can be seen at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,339448,00.html

The blood thinner, Heparin, was recalled in January due reports of allergic reactions. The active ingredient of Heparin, API, was manufactured in China where it is extracted from pigs.

Adverse reactions of Heparin include stomach pain, nausea, low blood pressure, chest pain, shortness of breath, burning sensations and swelling of the throat. Reactions to Heparin are serious and can result in illness or death.

Producers of Heparin in Germany have since been asked to check if the API is also manufactured in China. Japan has also issued recalls and examinations of Heparin products due to possible contamination.

The Chinese facility where the API was manufactured has been identified as Changzhou SPL.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has stated that the recalled Heparin can be linked to at least 800 adverse reactions and 19 fatalities. Baxter disputes these numbers and claims that the number of fatalities associated with Heparin is four.

The Heparin contaminant has not been discovered, despite the ongoing investigation by the Food and Drug Administration.

Defective drug attorneys are currently working on Heparin cases involving the serious injury or death of those who have suffered adverse reactions to Heparin.