Tardy measures caused HCV infection in 200 people

Because of delayed steps by a medicinal corporation and the former Health and Welfare Ministry to ban the production and sales of a heated blood product to stop bleeding, 200 people were infected with Hepatitis C, Akahata of April 15 reported.

The former Green Cross Corporation (renamed as Mitsubishi Pharma Corporation), while knowing that heated medicine (Fibrinogen) might cause Hepatitis C infection, started its production and sales in 1987 and continued until 1993, producing a total of 78,000 units.

In September 1987, three women were infected with Hepatitis C. The H&W ministry, as well as the pharmaceutical company, learned of this but took no effective steps to ban its use.

At the ministry's instruction, the company researched on the after-effects of patients infected with Hepatitis C from April 1987 to May 1988 and found that 200 people were already infected with the disease.

The agent producer/seller, however, only requested hospitals to send back the medicine and did not recall the product.

In light of the large number of Hepatitis C patients possibly developing chronic diseases, the figure of 200 means only the tip of the iceberg, Akahata reported. (end)