Leading scientists at the independent Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) have confirmed that albumin, a critically important medicine for the NHS, can now be safely derived from UK plasma donors.
Human albumin (HA) treatments are made of plasma proteins from human blood. They are given to thousands of critically ill patients every year to replace blood loss from trauma such as severe burns or injuries, and those suffering from conditions such as liver disease or sepsis.
However, until recently, the use of UK-donated plasma to manufacture plasma-derived medicinal products has been banned, as a safety precaution against the spread of Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD). The NHS instead relied exclusively on imported plasma-derived products, primarily from the USA.
In 2020, the ban on using UK-sourced plasma to manufacture immunoglobulins, another type of plasma-derived medicinal product, was lifted. The MHRA can now confirm that, following further review of the evidence, the CHM has also recommended lifting the ban on treating patients with UK albumin.
