Together toward a broader European plasma donation ecosystem

In the coming decade, it is expected that more European patients will need access to plasma-derived medicines.

Every year, more patients across the EU are diagnosed with life-threatening plasma protein-related disorders, such as immune deficiencies, immune-mediated peripheral neuropathies, hereditary angioedema, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiencies, haemophilia, and other bleeding disorders.

In many cases, plasma-derived medicines are the only option to treat these rare diseases. New indications, improved diagnostic techniques, greater use in Europe, and increased use in in cancer treatment-induced secondary immunodeficiency contribute to a growing clinical need.

Over the past 10 years, the use of immunoglobulins – some of the most used plasma-derived medicines – has almost doubled. With a yearly increase of about 8%, immunoglobulin usage increased from 32 tonnes in 2009 to 60 tonnes in 2019 (Marketing Research Bureau, 2019). This increase is driven by: innovations in medical research; improved and early diagnosis; extended patients’ lifespans due to timely treatments; and efforts to increase immunoglobulin usage in the Eastern EU countries, which is currently behind usage in the Western countries.

Today, almost 40% (5.15 million litres) of the plasma used to manufacture plasma-derived medicines for EU patients comes from the U.S. (Marketing Research Bureau, 2021).