Today, the need for more plasma to produce medicines is growing. Improved and early diagnosis help more patients access treatment and medical research reveals new indications for plasma-derived medicines. At the same time, today’s global balance of plasma exports and imports is at risk from global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical shifts driven by evolving national health priorities and trade issues that may restrict the exchange of blood components and plasma protein therapies. What are the risk factors for Europe’s public health policies?

Plasma differs from whole blood. Plasma is the clear straw-coloured liquid portion of blood that remains after red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and other cellular components have been removed. Donating plasma is a lengthier, more complex process than blood donation. Plasma donors can give more frequently and larger volumes. Plasma-derived medicines treat many conditions for which no alternative medicine exist.

The unique value chain for these plasma-derived medicines always starts with a person’s donation of plasma. To ensure access to these lifesaving plasma-derived medicines for all patients, public health authorities need to plan for stable access to these therapies under all circumstances. Producing plasma-derived medicines takes much longer than the process to make chemically synthesized pharmaceutical medicines.