The deaths of two Canadians have put paid blood plasma collection under the microscope.
What happened: Manitoba’s health minister said paid plasma collection could be banned in the province after two fatalities happened in a four-month span at two Winnipeg centres run by Spanish pharma giant Grifols. The minister is still waiting on a final review by Health Canada, which hasn't yet confirmed any link between the donation process and the deaths.
If it does happen, Manitoba would be the fourth province to ban the practice, along with Quebec, B.C., and Ontario — though the latter has a loophole for Grifols.
Catch-up: In 2022, Grifols signed a 15-year pact with Canada Blood Services (CBS), which oversees plasma donations in every province except Quebec, to introduce paid collection. The move was controversial and born out of desperation amid critically low donation levels.
Plasma is highly valuable for both transfusions and for helping drugmakers develop medications for patients in Canada, often for autoimmune and neurological disorders.
Why it matters: Up until now, things were largely going to plan for CBS. Before the deal, the non-profit could only meet 15% of the domestic demand for plasma immunoglobulins. As of last September, that had shot up to 31%. These deaths open the door for renewed criticism.
Zoom out: Besides safety concerns (which already came up in Manitoba), health advocates will likely point to other critiques of paid plasma collection, like the use of Canadian plasma to make foreign drug products and the alarming frequency at which people can donate.—QH