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Baxter International Inc., recalled its blood thinner heparin amid reports of allergic reactions and deaths in 2008, faces at least 30 lawsuits in Chicago by injured people or their estates. According to Bloomberg, an estimated 300 product-liability complaints may be filed in the Illinois.

The FDA requested new manufacturing standards for the blood thinner in 2008 after the problems were linked to tainted ingredients from China. Baxter which at the time supplied about 50 percent of the blood thinner and anticoagulant used in the United States began a voluntary recall after its monitors noticed an increase in reports of allergic reactions to injections of the drug.

The company began a full recall after determining that other drug makers would be able to ensure an adequate national supply, according to Gardiner.

A key ingredient in heparin is made in China from pig intestines, the company said in a May 2008 statement. “The decision to source from China is based solely on supply the majority of the world’s supply of crude heparin comes from China, due to the large number of pigs required,” Baxter said then.

The complaints accuse Baxter and the supplier, Scientific Protein Laboratories LLC, of negligence, alleging their products were unsafe for their intended use. The suits seek money damages for those who were injured and for survivors of those who died.

A new study states that Heparin, a frequently prescribed blood thinner, can cause skin lesions that are harmless in most cases but could indicate a life-threatening condition induced by the drug.

Researchers examined 320 people who were given heparin injections at a German hospital. Of those, 7.5% developed skin lesions as a result of the treatment. That’s higher than the 2% rate the researchers had anticipated.

“During the study, we were surprised by the high number of patients with heparin-induced skin lesions,” the study authors wrote. “For most patients, the diagnosis was made because of our study.”

The researchers found that in most cases, the lesions resulted from an allergic reaction. Women were more likely to have the reaction, and three factors: pregnancy, obesity and long-term heparin use resulted in a higher likelihood of the condition, the study found.

The authors suggested that doctors be aware that skin lesions might occur and realize that they need to figure out the cause. The lesions could be a sign, they said, of a serious condition called “heparin-induced thrombocytopenia,” in which the number of platelets in the blood decreases.

The study results appear in the September 28, 2009 Canadian Medical Association Journal.

On May 8, 2009, Beebe Medical Center officials announced that at least five patients had bad reactions from the use of pre-mixed bags of heparin from Baxter Healthcare Corp. Heparin is a blood thinner and used prevent clots, has been suspended, officials said.

One patient was transferred by air ambulance to Christiana Care Health System and two patients were flown to the University of Maryland Hospital. Additional patients are being closely monitored at Beebe.

Officials said they have informed the manufacturer, the FDA and the Delaware Health Care Operations Center. Wally Hudson, vice president of Beebe’s corporate affairs, said the three patients suffered internal bleeding, but tests on two other patients with similar symptoms ruled out internal bleeding.

“The patients affected experienced internal bleeding,” he said. “We started to see it overnight, and because of the nature of the bleeding, we (needed to transport the patients to other facilities).”

Hudson said hospital officials have received no updates from other medical centers regarding patient conditions. Contents of the bags have been sent off for testing.

“I’m not saying these were tainted bags of medicine,” he said. “What I am saying is we’ve had some unusual patient outcomes and (the heparin seems to be) the common denominator.”

Hudson said an investigation will be conducted as to what caused the patients’ reactions.

Rehoboth Beach resident Walter Brittingham said in most cases Beebe gives “excellent service.”

“Have I or my family encountered problems as a patient or patients at Beebe, yes,” he said. “But all in all, I think they offer good care.”

A spokeswoman for Baxter said the company has not received similar reports from any other institutions and was working with Beebe to establish what happened. The spokeswoman also said that premixed bags such as those involved in the incident were not part of last year’s heparin product recall, which was made after increased reports of adverse reactions.