JCP demands government investigate into its approval of blood product causing hepatitis C infections

The Health and Welfare Ministry in 1973 failed to instruct pharmaceutical company Green Cross Corp. to stop selling its fibrinogen blood product even though it knew that its use would risk causing hepatitis C infections.

Koike Akira of the Japanese Communist Party pointed this out based on his own reseach at a House of Councilors committee meeting on May 30.

He said that the Health and Welfare Ministry at the time was aware that cryoprecipitate blood products are less risky than fibrinogen products.

As evidence, Koike showed a reference book compiled in 1973 under the supervision of the Health and Welfare Ministry. That was four years before the United States withdrew the approval of the blood products.

Stating that the ministry must have known the rist of using the blood product, Health, Labor, and Welfare Minister Sakaguchi Chikara agreed on the need for further investigation into the allegation.

Koike demanded that the Diet hold a discussion on this and summon the then Green Cross president and the then Health and Welfare Ministry section chief in charge of the blood product matter as unsworn witnesses.

It is estimated that about 10,000 people may have been infected with hepatitis C because of the use of the tainted blood product. (end)