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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Polyelectrolyte Complex for Heparin Binding Domain Osteogenic Growth Factor Delivery

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Published on: August 22, 2016

[Contaminated heparins].

¹UMR 176, section de recherche, institut Curie, 26, rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris cedex 05, France. claude.monneret@curie.fr

Annales Pharmaceutiques Francaises

|October 14, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Contaminated heparin, containing chondroitin sulfate, caused severe allergic reactions and over 80 deaths in the USA. This global heparin supply chain issue highlights critical quality control and pharmaceutical chain failures.

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Area of Science:

Pharmaceutical Science
Chemical Analysis
Public Health

Context:

In January 2008, severe allergic reactions led to heparin recalls in the US.
Similar side effects were noted in Germany, but not France, despite using heparin derived from potentially contaminated sources.
Over 80 deaths in the US were linked to tainted injectable heparin.

Purpose:

To investigate the cause of severe adverse events linked to heparin products.
To identify the contaminant responsible for heparin-induced allergic reactions.
To assess the implications for global heparin supply chain integrity and quality control.

Summary:

Analyses revealed heparin batches contaminated with high levels of chondroitin sulfate (5-20%), a synthetic substitute.
The contaminated heparin originated from Chinese chemical industries, which supply 50% of the world's heparin.
This contamination represents a worldwide problem affecting the heparin supply chain.

Impact:

The incident raises serious questions about the effectiveness of existing quality assurance and analytical controls in the pharmaceutical industry.
There is an urgent need to enforce strict adherence to the pharmaceutical supply chain to prevent future quality issues.
Ensuring the integrity of the global heparin supply is crucial for patient safety and public health.