Sole U.S. Heparin Supplier Takes Steps To Guarantee Safety

U.S. drug maker APP Pharmaceuticals, now the only U.S. supplier of heparin, says it has taken several steps to ensure the safety of the blood-thinner relied on during open-heart surgery. Baxter International stopped being APP's heparin competitor after its Chinese-made heparin was recalled in the wake of 81 deaths and hundreds of adverse events last year. APP makes its heparin in U.S. and Puerto Rican plants. The company said it would use enhanced labeling, unit-of-use barcodes and other methods to ensure safety. The supply of heparin in the United States only recently returned to normal. (Click here for more