The report is available in English with a Dutch summary - KCE

18 Plasma KCE Reports 120
Year
Table 5 shows the trend in the price of RP and SP from 1997 to 2007 with which we
compare the trend in international prices found in an unpublished PPTA document.
Over the years for which data are available (2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006, 2007), it
appears that the price of RP sold by the Red Cross to the CAF-DCF (53.07 euros)
represents a very competitive price compared with the prices being paid on the
international market. As a corollary, this price represents a loss of potential revenue
for the Red Cross. For SP, the situation prior to 2003 (given the international price in
2002) cannot have been profitable for the Red Cross. After the rise in price in 2003,
from 53.30 to 78.09, the situation has improved: the amount received by the RC (price
+ subsidy, see next section) is systematically higher than the international price,
according to the sources of Table 5.
In view of the small difference between the international price and the amount received
by the Red Cross (price + subsidy), it is vital to confirm this analysis by comparing it
with other sources of international prices. In Table 6, we show an average price of
source plasma amounts to 106 euros.
As highlighted by Verhaegen, 9 the rise in price agreed in 2003 should correspond to reestablishing
of the competitive position of the CAF-DCF, which had completed its
investment in buildings (construction on the site at Neder-Over-Heembeeck).
However, retaining the subsidy for the Red Cross was without doubts linked to the
inadequate price paid by the CAF-DCF to cover the cost of plasma collection. The
validity of the above results depends critically on international prices. During a meeting
of external experts, we obtained different information that international prices were
around 75 euros for RP and 90 euros for SP, including the price of the NAT test (see
below). Other sources 10 appear to confirm that the price paid by the CAF-DCF for
whole blood plasma is well below the international price and that the average price that
the Red Cross could obtain for plasma from plasmapheresis is slightly higher than the
price it currently receives, including the subsidy (Table 6).
Table 5: Plasma prices from 1998 to 2007
Price of recovered plasma Price of source plasma
paid by
CAF
received by
Red Cross
International
price (PPTA)
paid by
CAF
received by
Red Cross
International
price (PPTA)
1997 53.30 53.30 78.09 78.09
1998 53.30 53.30 53.30 78.09
1999 53.30 53.30 53.30 78.09
2000 53.30 53.30 53.30 78.09
2001 53.30 53.30 53.30 78.09
2002 53.30 53.30 90.78 53.30 78.09 100.00
2003 53.30 53.30 70.04 78.09 102.88 100.00
2004 53.30 53.30 65.20 78.09 102.88 85.88
2005 53.30 53.30 78.09 102.88 79.00
2006 53.30 53.30 81.01 78.09 102.88 87.51
2007 53.30 53.30 60.65 78.09 102.88 98.55
1 Source: International Blood/Plasma News; June 2002
2 Source: International Blood/Plasma News; June 2003 – conversion: www.oanda.com
3 Source: International Blood/Plasma News; January 2004 – US-based suppliers, NOT Polymerase
Chain Reaction (PCR) tested
4 Source: International Blood/Plasma News; April 2005 – not Nucleic Acid Test (NAT)
5 Source: International Blood/Plasma News; March 2006
6 Source: International Blood/Plasma News; January 2007 – NAT tested