Heparin: A Common Drug That's Getting a Lot of Attention

Heparin, a blood thinner, is one of the most common drugs used in health care today. Tonight's "60 Minutes" led off with the story of actor Dennis Quaid and his wife, who saw their twins almost die from a ten-thousand fold overdose of Heparin.

To be technical, Heparin doesn't really "thin" the blood but prevents it from coagulating (clotting). The Quaid twins were supposed to be treated with Hep-Lock, a drug used to flush out catheters and other medical equipment, and instead were given Heparin... and the adult-strength Heparin is 10,000 times stronger than Hep-Lock.

Heparin, whose main manufacturer is U.S. drug maker Baxter International, has also been the subject of a recall by U.S. authorities due to a number of deaths it is believed resulted from contamination at the Chinese source of one of the main ingredients of Heparin. The Quaid situation is another Heparin-related headache for Baxter, notes an article in the Wall Street Journal. The problem is said to have results in 19 deaths in the U.S.

The Journal has previously run articles about how the main ingredient in Heparin is obtained from the intestines of pigs, and it has noted unsanitary conditions at at least one facility in China.

Medline Plus, a Web site from the U.S. National Library of Medicine, has a good layman's article on Heparin, how and why it's used, and the recent problems with the drug. Drugs.com has good question and answer page about Heparin.

Baxter's Heparin Recalls Expands as More Reactions Reported

Drug maker Baxter International is expanding its recall of heparin, a blood-thinning drug, as the medication is suspected in more patient deaths.

Heparin, one of the most widely used medications, has been suspected as the cause of 21 deaths and close to 450 "adverse events," and almost 400 of those events involved heparin made by Baxter (ticker symbol BAX).

Baxter makes half of the heparin used in the U.S., but authorities don't expect a shortage of the drug. The company APP Pharmaceuticals, which makes the other half of the U.S. supply of heparin, has increased its output to help make up the shortfall from Baxter.

An article in today's Wall Street Journal says that the FDA has found quality control lapses at a plant in China that makes the active ingredient used in heparin, but haven't yet identified the precise cause of the adverse reactions.