China declares that human immunoglobulin tests are seronegative for HIV

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities have said that tests on a lot of injectable human immunoglobulin intravenously, which would have been contaminated with anti-HIV, revealed a negative presence of the virus.

"The Shanghai authorities have tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C on the reported batch and they all gave a negative result," said the National Medical Products Administration in a statement Wednesday night.

The National Health Commission of China had previously stated that the lot presented a "very low" risk of HIV infection after a baby was tested for "low" HIV.

He asked the medical institutions to discontinue the use of the lot and seal the remaining supplies for the purpose of thorough investigations.

The Shanghai Medical Products Administration said it ordered the manufacturer to stop production.

Human immunoglobulin is manufactured with human blood plasma and is used to treat various conditions.

The Shanghai Medical Products Administration said in a statement on Wednesday that the lot, identified by the National Health Commission of China under the number 20180610Z, was manufactured by China Meheco Xinxing Pharma Co, a unit of China Meheco Group Co Ltd., controlled by the state.

The manufacturer could not be reached immediately for a comment on Thursday. Chinese offices are largely closed for lunar New Year holidays that last a week.

The investigation began after a baby from Jiangxi Province initially submitted a "low" HIV HIV test during a health check, according to information traced back to the group under investigation, the national media reported, reported the China Economic Observer. The baby was then tested negative for HIV, according to the report.

We do not know how many people were able to receive the lot under investigation. The media reported that the batch contained 12,226 doses expiring in 2021.

The Chinese government has repeatedly pledged to strengthen security surveillance and crack down on companies and officials as a result of several food and pharmaceutical scandals in recent years, including one involving the maker of a rabies vaccine.