Iran exports plasma products to Europe

Iran Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) announced remarkable progress in producing blood-derived products and that European countries are eying Iranian plasma imports.

Currently over 20 types of highly expensive blood products, such as IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) which has a high price, are being obtained from blood and blood products,” IBTO Director General Hassan Abolqasemi said on Friday, IRNA reported.

“During the past three years, we managed to produce all the IVIG, [formerly] made of Western blood and imported at a price of over USD 60 million, from Iranian blood and through the Blood Transfusion Organization itself,” he added.

Abolqasemi highlighted the efforts by Iranian researchers to achieve international standards in the field of plasma industry, which he said has encouraged European countries to wait in line to sign contracts to import Iranian plasma.

The Iranian official hailed IBTO’s position in the international rankings due to what he called the exemplary cooperation of Iranian blood donors and the government.

Currently the index of blood donation in the country is 25 per 1,000 people, which stands in the first place in the region, he noted.

“After Iran, Turkey stands second with an index of 20 for every 1,000 people while the figure for other regional countries is under 15 and we are proud to be among the five Asian countries to have the highest voluntary blood donation,” Abolqasemi explained.