Chemical not source of heparin woes

WASHINGTON: A Chinese investigation concluded yesterday that a contaminant found in the blood thinner heparin was not the cause of deaths and allergic reactions related to the drug in the US. Investigators tested batches of heparin used by patients who reported those health problems, and only some contained the contaminant, an altered form of chondroitin sulfate, said Jin Shaohong, deputy director of the China National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products.

"The over-sulfated chondroitin can therefore not be the suspected root cause of heparin ADE (adverse events)," he said.