Improving the lives of people with
Primary Immune Deficiency
First blood plasma for medicines donations begins
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) announce “First blood plasma for medicines donations begins”
People will today (Wednesday April 7) donate blood plasma for medicines for the first time in more than 20 years.
The plasma will be fractionated and used to make antibody-based medicines – called immunoglobulins – for people with rare immune diseases.
NHS Blood and Transplant will from today take donations at 14 donor centres around England, for an initial three months.
You can read more on the NHSBT website, including this quote from the Chair of UKPIPS’ trustees, Sue Dimmock:
“UKPIPS is delighted that UK-donated plasma can now be fully utilised for the benefit of UK patients, to manufacture lifesaving immunoglobulin medicines.
“Those of us who are unable to make our own antibodies completely rely on regular infusions of donated, plasma-derived antibodies (immunoglobulin) to fight infection and to stay as healthy as possible. Without this treatment, we have an extremely limited defence against infection and disease.
“For the last 20 years, plasma has been sourced from outside the UK. With the global demand for immunoglobulin products increasing each year, UK-donated plasma is great news for both security of supply and longer-term sustainability.”
Published 9th April 2021 Amended 5th October 2021 (Old News)
UKPIPS is grateful for the support of Takeda