What is OSCS? Frankly, it is poison. It politely is called a “contaminant.” It is part of what was in the Heparin (that Baxter and Scientific Protein Labs distributed) that killed people. Almost all of the controversy in the Heparin litigation has swirled around OSCS. OSCS is oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. Here is some of what the FDA has said about OSCS at
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm112606.htm:
13. What is the contaminant? (new question and answer added 6/18/2008)
Oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS), a substance that mimics the biological activity of heparin, was identified as the contaminant.
14. Where is the contaminant found? (new question and answer added 6/18/2008)
The contaminant was found in samples of heparin crude materials, heparin active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), and finished heparin drug products.
15. Is oversulfated chondroitin sulfate unsafe by itself or in combination with heparin? (new question and answer added 6/18/2008)
The adverse events were reported in patients who received heparin contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate. The lab studies suggest that when oversulfated chondroitin sulfate is given alone or in combination to animals, similar adverse events occur (N Engl J Med 358;23 June 5, 2008 p2457) .
Posted on 21st October 2008 by gjohnson in Uncategorized
anaphylactic heparin reaction, Baxter recall of heparin, contaminated heparin, heparin, heparin adverse reactions, heparin and punitive damages, OSCS
One issue that we have been blogging about since the beginning of the heparin catastrophe, is the presumption that doctors have misdiagnosed an overwhelming number of cases of adverse reaction to OSCS contamination, as normal disease processes. The default diagnosis for most heparin related deaths prior to the onset of this crisis is HIT (heparin-induced thrombocytopenia). Initially it was thought that anyone with a HIT diagnosis would clearly not be considered a potential adverse reaction to OSCS. But the more that we have gotten into these files, the more suspicious we are of a HIT diagnosis. Since HIT is the default diagnosis, it may simply mean that the doctors didn’t know what else to call it.
A good example of what we are saying about the overuse of the HIT diagnosis, is the case study below:
In late 2007 after receiving Heparin during cardiac surgery, Mrs. B, age 44, suffered from a severe reaction that caused extremely low blood pressure and required her to be on a breathing ventilator for 15 days. Tests for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) came back negative initially, but one week later an additional test came back positive for HIT.
This September, in response to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, several medical doctors pointed out that the contaminant recently discovered in the nation’s supply of Heparin manufactured by Baxter International, Inc., may cause symptoms that are indistinguishable from HIT.
After more than three weeks in intensive care, Mrs. B. was discharged, but today suffers from heavy audible wheezing and shortness of breath, severe memory loss, extreme fatigue, and tingling in her extremities.
This information about the heparin catastrophe is provided by Attorney Gordon Johnson, in conjunction with the Nolan Law Group of Chicago, IL. The Johnson Law Office is affiliated with The Nolan Law Group on Heparin litigation. The Nolan Law Group is presently involved in the litigation on behalf of those affected by the distribution of contaminated heparin.
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Attorney Gordon JohnsonChair Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, American Association of Justice
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