The confirmation of the transmission of Mad Cow disease (CJD and variant CJD) to humans is now accepted based on events in Great Britain. more...

The extreme reaction of the Japanese government this summer to the discovery of a human vCJD case, in a person who visited the United Kingdom, albeit briefly, showed the strong desire of governments to minimize the risk of infection, particularly infection of national blood supplies. more...

Due to donor found to be at risk for CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB Disease. On Friday October 3, 1997 Baxter/Hyland and and the European Novartis Pharmaceuticals announced the recall of all remaining plasma-based products and intermediate fractions derived from plasma units collected from two donors who were subsequently discovered to be at risk for CJD. more...

BAXTER & AMERICAN RED CROSS INITIATE RECALL OF 7 LOTS OF MONCLONAL FACTOR VIII. Today, Friday, May 23, 1997, the FDA notified COTT that Baxter/Hyland and the American Red Cross had initiated the voluntary recall of 7 logs of Monclonal Factor VIII. more...

In early April of this year the World Health Organization, WHO, held a two day seminar of the current status of scientific knowledge regarding Mad Cow Disease and its human variant, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Leading scientists and researchers from the global community gathered to asses the implications of a 1996 outbreak of Mad Cow Disease from tainted beef in Great Britain. Also debated was whetheror not CJD is transmissible through blood/blood products. more...

On Saturday July 12, 1997 Baxter Healthcare, Hyland Division, announced a Class 1 recall of three lots of their Recombinate Factor VIII concentrate. The recall involves three lots that were distributed in the United States. The lots are being recalled due to a possible bacterial contamination in a segment of the production process. A penecilium mold was discovered in the of the lines that actually transfer factor to the individual bottles. more...

Issues of product safety and emerging threats to the blood supply continue to dominate the attention of the Committee Of Ten Thousand. In May of this year we formed a Science & Medicine Working Group in order to better address safety issues as they arise. more...