The impact of plasma derived therapies in Europe

Plasma-derived therapies are therapies derived from human plasma. They are manufactured using a fractionation process where the relevant proteins in plasma are separated out. Plasma is the single largest component of human blood and contains water, salts, enzymes, antibodies, and other proteins. Plasma-derived therapies are used to treat a wide range of (rare) diseases, from bleeding disorders and inhibitor deficiencies, to primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.

The number of patients affected by diseases requiring treatment with plasma-derived therapies is increasing. This trend coincides with escalating concerns over the supply of the raw material in the longer term, and a heavy reliance in Europe on plasma imports from the US.

Against this background, the pharmaceutical company, Takeda, commissioned Copenhagen Economics to inform the debate by investigating the value of plasma-derived therapies for patients and the wider economy, a task that included researching policy options to secure the supply of plasma in the future.

We identified the following key findings:

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