Plasma Fractionation

Plasma fractionation is important for producing different products such as albumin, immunoglobulins, and coagulation factors. The origins go back to 1940, with the experiments of Cohn for the needs of victims of casualty during World War II. Since then, the fractionation industry has started to gradually develop. In the 1970s, demand for albumin and factor VIII increased worldwide, and different guidelines were introduced to assure the safety of the blood donor and the products. Consequently, for the patient. Although many organizations, such as the WHO and the Council of Europe, have advocated that blood donors should be voluntary and non-remunerated from low-risk populations, there are still countries that pay blood donors for their plasma and allow blood donors to donate plasma very often. In these cases, not only the blood donor can develop iron deficiency and other potential health issues, but the quality of plasma can be affected as well because the regeneration process of plasma ingredients is too slow. The majority of plasma collected comes from the USA, followed by Asia-Pacific, Europe, etc. The demand for plasma products, known as PDMPs, is very high worldwide. The worldwide shortage has also contributed to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To have a sufficient supply of PDMPs worldwide, millions of blood donors are required, which is currently not possible. With challenges and new approaches, the safety of the blood donor and also safe PDMPs need to be assured.