Bad drugs at a pharmacy near you
The FDA believes it has discovered the contaminant in the blood-thinning drug heparin that has caused hundreds of allergic reactions and 19 deaths. It appears to be a cheap, plentiful substance that is made from animal cartilage. Mimicking heparin in chemical tests and falsely giving the impression of larger amounts of the drug, it was added in China, a common source of crude heparin precursors.
By Henry Miller
31 March 2008