Thierry Burnouf: The Fragile Supply of Human Hyperimmune Immunoglobulins
Thierry Burnouf, Vice-Dean, Distinguished Professor, Biomedical Engineering at Taipei Medical University, shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article he and his colleagues co-authored, published in The Lancet Haematology, adding:
“Our article, ‘Essential but neglected: securing the global supply of human hyperimmune immunoglobulins,’ is now available in The Lancet Haematology.
The article highlights a neglected issue in global health: the fragile supply of human hyperimmune immunoglobulins.
These plasma-derived medicines are essential for several time-critical indications, including rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, tetanus prophylaxis, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, and prevention of RhD alloimmunisation during pregnancy.
Recent concerns about anti-RhD immunoglobulin supply in Europe and the USA should not be viewed as isolated events. They reveal broader weaknesses in donor recruitment, high-titre plasma collection, manufacturing prioritisation by plasma fractionators, procurement planning, and distribution to the point of care.
The problem affects both low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries. In many settings, access is limited by product availability, cost, fragmented procurement, weak stock management, and uneven distribution. The populations affected include pregnant women, newborns, victims of animal bites, and trauma patients, groups that often lack organised advocacy in health policy discussions.
The central message of the article is that hyperimmune immunoglobulins should not be treated as secondary plasma products. They are essential, time-critical medicines that require sustained donor programmes, dedicated manufacturing capacity and optimized technologies, proactive procurement, and better surveillance of stocks and access.
Securing their supply is important for blood safety, maternal–child health, emergency care, infectious disease prevention, and health equity.”
Title: Essential but neglected: securing the global supply of human hyperimmune immunoglobulins
Authors: Thierry Burnouf, C Ellen van der Schoot, Steve Fonkou, Yuyun Maryuningsih, Jay S Epstein
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