Heparin: Purposeful Poisoning or Accidental?

Was the latest heparin blood thinner debacle purposeful or an accident?

Usually conservative in opinion, the FDA commissioner told a Senate subcommittee that the heparin contamination was an economic fraud. The heparin contaminant of oversulfated chondroitin sulfate costs $9 a pound compared with $900 a pound for the active ingredient heparin.

Contaminated heparin-induced 81 deaths is being compared to cyanide laced Tylenol. However, with the blood thinner heparin there were far more deaths including a 60ish man in Ohio who lost both his wife and his son because they both suffered from the same genetic kidney disease that required constant dialysis.

The FDA has identified Changzhou SPL, a Chinese subsidiary of Scientific Protein Laboratories, as the source of the contaminated heparin. Chinese officials dispute the FDA that the contaminant caused injuries and death.

The FDA failed to inspect the plant as did Changzhou SPL. The FDA claims they don't have the budget to properly inspect all the foreign drug inspections.

Nobody wants to get tapped on the shoulder with heparin death blame. So what else is new? Who's minding the store?