Faced with the urgent need to treat congenital conditions in which the body is unable to protect itself from infections and/or properly clot, the medical sector found in plasma, a human fluid loaded with proteins and elemental salts, a way to treat these patients and improve their quality of life. However, due to a poor donation culture and inadequate technology within the public sector, Mexico has become dependent on and a net importer of Plasma-Derived Therapies from other countries. Today, plasma is a priority issue on the agenda of Mexican patients, doctors, families, and civil society organizations.
Plasma collection is vital for the development of medical treatments, and is increasingly required as the number of diagnoses increases and new diseases emerge. For example, this happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period in which it became contingently necessary to collect plasma from people who had recovered from the disease to produce derivative therapies and apply them to the most severe cases.
According to the National Blood Transfusion System, plasma donations in Mexico are mostly used for replacement purposes, meaning they are used for patients who are already hospitalized and urgently require plasma at that time. In this regard, Juan Manuel Cisneros, a clinical pathology specialist, warns that this situation affects, among other factors, compliance with safety protocols within health centers, as the urgency leads to the neglect of sanitary filters and measures aimed at the safety of patients and donors.
Plasma Derived Therapies Scenario
Dr. Francisco Espinosa Rosales, a specialist in pediatrics and immunology, points out that some groups of rare diseases require a high consumption of plasma-derived products for treatment. According to U.S. government estimates, a person with one of the 450 primary immunodeficiencies requires up to 130 plasma donations per year to survive.
On the other hand, some neurological diseases also require high-dose plasma-derived therapies for prolonged periods of control. This means they require a weekly or monthly supply for many years to maintain normal muscle function and strength. Furthermore, plasma-derived therapies are essential in organ donation because they reduce the risk of rejection by the recipient, hence the importance of ensuring an autonomous and stable supply.
