The Growth of the Plasma Market

THE NUMBER OF chronic illnesses treated with therapies manufactured from human plasma has been steadily growing in recent years, and manufacturers of immune globulin (IG) products in particular are rising to meet the demand. It is estimated that IG usage is growing at a rate of 6 percent to 8 percent each year; however, more accurate estimates may be as high as 10 percent to 15 percent. With 14 FDA-approved IG products currently on the market and a 15th on the way, one thing is certain: Increased demand for these life-giving products will require an increase in the raw plasma product.

In this annual plasma-themed issue of BioSupply Trends Quarterly, we take a critical look at the current plasma market, especially issues of supply and demand. The healthcare industry is currently experiencing an oversupply of IG, but is it possible another shortage is looming? History has shown that recalls and withdrawals can cause sudden and unexpected shortages without warning. In our article “Immune Globulin: Controlling Supply and Demand,” we look at some of the reasons behind past shortages, assess where we are now and delve into what steps the industry is taking to help prevent another shortage.

A significant factor concerning supply and demand in the plasma market is the growing global demand fueled by the rapidly expanding list of diseases and chronic conditions for which plasma derivatives are showing promise. Our article “Exploring the Power of IVIG” spotlights some of the current clinical studies using intravenous IG that are breaking new ground when it comes to treating chronic disease. Promising results are being seen in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s, autism and even diabetes.

IG therapy for autoimmune and other neuromuscular disorders is most commonly administered intravenously. But recent studies show that the subcutaneous route is both as effective and more preferred by patients. In our feature “Subcutaneous Immune Globulin: New Therapeutic Uses Beyond Primary Immunodeficiency?” we learn that investigators across Europe recently have reported that SCIG may represent a better treatment option than IVIG for many patients with certain disease states. A very recently published Italian single-center experience compared IVIG and SCIG use in 61 patients with hypogammaglobulinemia secondary to chronic lymphocytic leukemia and nonHodgkins lymphoma, with results closely mirroring other findings: SCIG patients had fewer systemic adverse events, significantly higher IgG trough levels, reduced infectious events and improvement in quality of life.

Moving beyond the plasma market, if there was one healthcare headline that dominated the media in 2014, it was the Ebola epidemic. Dubbed the “deadliest Ebola outbreak in history,” our article “To Screen or Not to Screen” explores how diseases like Ebola are spread across country borders and what guidelines and recommendations have been implemented to curb that spread. There’s no debating how deadly Ebola is. Our Myths and Facts column takes a timely look at this frightening and widely misunderstood virus; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the number of Ebola cases could rise to as many as 1.4 million by early this year, but spreading even more quickly than the virus itself is fear due to a lack of understanding about what causes Ebola and how it is spread.

As always, we hope you find this issue of BioSupply Trends Quarterly educational, insightful and innovative. Looking to the future, we hope to continue to bring you the information and resources that are helpful to you in your practice.

Helping Healthcare Care,

Patrick M. Schmidt

Publisher