Contaminated Heparin Syringes Recalled

Shannon Weidemann

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A second manufacturer of pre-filled Heparin syringes has issued a drug recall for 32 lots of product.  The syringes were manufactured by Covidien who received components for making Heparin from the same supplier as Baxter.  Baxter has recalled all of the Heparin they manufactured due to contamination with a substance that mimics Heparin.

The Mansfield, Mass., company issued the recall in response to a notification from Scientific Protein Laboratories (SPL), which is the company that supplies Covidien with the active pharmaceutical ingredient used to make heparin.

Covidien, which was formerly known as Tyco Healthcare, said there have been no reports of adverse events associated with its heparin products.

SPL is also the supplier to Baxter Healthcare, whose heparin products have been linked to serious allergic reactions and at least 19 deaths.

 Some of the drug components were manufactured by a factory in China.  The U.S. FDA and China's similar branch are both investigating the matter.  Heparin has been recalled in Europe and Japan as well.