A Wistaston woman is among the first patients to receive life-saving medicine made from the blood plasma of Cheshire donors.
It marks the first time in 25 years that plasma is being used to make life-saving medicines for NHS patients, reducing reliance on imports.
Plasma makes up 55% of human blood and contains antibodies which strengthen or stabilise the immune system.
Antibodies are separated out and made into medicines which treat people with life-limiting illnesses such as immune deficiencies. The most important medicine is immunoglobulin.
In Cheshire, hundreds of people receive immunoglobulin and the first patients are now receiving the medicines, including Claire Douglas from Wistaston.
The 45-year-old receives immunoglobulin as a treatment for common variable immune deficiency.
She was diagnosed with the illness as a child and has received treatment since she was nine years old.
The married mum, an administration assistant, said: “I remember feeling tired all the time. My mum has said she had to take me to school in a pushchair sometimes, and getting repeat infections, and I ended up feeling quite isolated.
“I had the first treatment on a children’s ward and it made a huge difference.
“Plasma changes a lot of people lives and it reduces the chances of infections causing organ damage in the body for people with my condition as it affects several parts of the body.
“I am so glad that people like me can now get immunoglobulin made from UK blood donations.
“It will help make supplies more secure as it won’t have to be shipped as far.”
Claire started on intravenous treatment and changed to subcutaneous Treatment in 2010.
Over the past three years, blood donors in Cheshire have supplied around 5,000 litres of plasma.
That’s enough to make around 2,400 bottles of immunoglobulin and enough to save or improve the lives of around 65 people over a year.
The NHS has previously relied on imported plasma medicines since the outbreak of Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.
A new supply of UK plasma medicines will bolster supplies to the NHS and reduce reliance on imports, which can be hit by reductions in supply and prices spikes.
Daniel Cooper, NHSBT Assistant Director for Blood Donation Operations, said: “Thanks to our amazing blood and plasma donors in Cheshire and across England, for the first time in a quarter of a century, patients are now receiving plasma medicines made from donations taken in England.
“We need more blood donors to help make more of these medicines and build UK self-sufficiency.
“Your donation is now helping save lives in new ways. Go to blood.co.uk to become a donor.”
Dr Susan Walsh, the Chief Executive Officer of Immunodeficiency UK, said: “This is a historic moment – patients from Cheshire can now get life-saving and life-improving immunoglobulin medicine made from the plasma of UK blood and plasma donors.
“Immunoglobulins recognise dangerous micro-organisms and help the immune cells to neutralise them. It’s a vital treatment for people with immune disorders.
“We urge people in Cheshire to try blood donation. Your red blood cells will be used as normal.
“But now the blood plasma can also help vulnerable people with immune disorders.”
There are two ways you can give plasma.
Every time you give blood in Cheshire, your plasma may be used too. Or you can donate plasma at three specialist sites in Birmingham, London and Reading.
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