Amy Witherite FDA report – FDA seized contaminated heparin made in China

Texas product liability attorney – Amy Witherite has learned U.S. Marshals seized heparin, a popular blood-thinner medication, from a Cincinnati based drug company.

At the request of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), federal agents confiscated the contaminated heparin made with material imported from China.

November 8, 2008, Dallas, TX (AmericanInjuryNews)–Concerned products safety advocate, Witherite, wants consumers to be informed about drug product safety alerts and initiatives. The U.S. Government seized 11 lots of contaminated heparin from Cincinnati, Ohio based Celsus Laboratiories Inc. last Thursday. Apparently, the FDA discovered the medication was contaminated with over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate, a substance that mimics heparin’s blood-thinning activity. This draws serious concern to patients and American consumers using medications to improve or sustain their daily health. Earlier this year, the FDA said contaminated heparin, from facilities in China, was linked to 81 deaths in the U.S. and hundreds of allergic reactions.

The experienced Dallas County product safety attorney, Witherite, suggests patients be aware of the following:

• Consult your physician and pharmacist if you are taking any heparin containing products
• Baxter International Inc. Is the largest supplier of heparin
• The FDA has also revealed reports of 11 deaths and other adverse events associated with medical devices containing heparin
• A congressional inquiry has been initiated based on criticism by industry experts of the FDA’s handling of the drug contamination issue
• The FDA has initiated 13 recalls of contaminated products that contain heparin. Consult www.fda.gov to read the full alert by the FDA.

The Dallas product defect attorney, Witherite, with the Dallas, Texas law firm of Eberstein & Witherite states the FDA called the United States Federal Marshall Service to seize the contaminated heparin because Celsus Laboratories had been ineffective in recalling the medication. The FDA warned Celsus Laboratories in April and May of this year it was too slow in alerting consumers of the contaminated drug and too slow in recalling the medication from the U.S. market place.