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After Heparin: - The Pew Charitable Trusts

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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND<br />

<strong>The</strong> heparin tragedy may have been preceded by warning signs that could have suggested a heightened<br />

risk of economically motivated adulteration. <strong>The</strong> OSCS entered the supply chain at a time when a widespread<br />

swine virus outbreak had greatly diminished Chinese pig herds. 86 <strong>The</strong> price of pigs increased in<br />

2007, 87 and the cost of pure heparin as well as heparin crude increased more than 100 percent between<br />

May and November 2007 (see figure 4). According to an expert in the pharmaceutical chemical industry,<br />

an alert purchasing department might have identified the price increase as a signal of potential risk<br />

to the product. 88 A shortage of raw ingredient provides a motivation for deliberate substitutions of<br />

cheaper materials.<br />

Figure 4<br />

Monthly Chinese export prices for crude and refined heparin, 2006 and<br />

2007<br />

3000 $/KG<br />

2500<br />

2000<br />

Crude heparin 2006<br />

Crude heparin 2007<br />

Refined heparin 2006<br />

Refined heparin 2007<br />

1500<br />

1000<br />

500<br />

0<br />

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC<br />

Source: Beijing Orientbit Technology Co., Ltd. 89<br />

Baxter reports that it has instituted a number of initiatives to secure its supply chain against future adulteration.<br />

It is examining its global supply chain practices to identify vulnerabilities, reviewing relationships<br />

with high-risk suppliers, reducing the number of suppliers, doing more concentrated audits and<br />

reviewing test methods. 90 Baxter does not sell heparin vial products today, although it continues to sell<br />

other heparin products, none of which is produced using the supplier implicated in the recalls. 91<br />

As FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg has noted, “In this day and age, companies must be able to<br />

effectively demonstrate that safety, quality and compliance with international and U.S. standards are<br />

built into every component of every product and every step of the production process.” 92 <strong>Heparin</strong>’s<br />

complex supply chain was vulnerable to abuse by perpetrators that have not been identified and therefore<br />

never penalized, and Baxter failed to prevent a serious adulteration of its product. Chapter 1 reviews<br />

issues of outsourcing, globalization and supplier management.<br />

20<br />

<strong>Pew</strong> Health Group

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