Canadian Blood Services introduces new $20-million test for Hep C

Date: Nov. 1, 1999
Time: 2:39 pm

This may seems like a lot of money for the return, but CBS spokesperson Ian Mumford told eCMAJ that "We'd rather be criticized for being overly cautious than not cautious enough."

The new Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAT) detects low levels of a virus before the body begins producing antibodies. This means that NAT technology can detect hepatitis C in blood given by someone who contracted the disease just 14 to 28 days previous. The current test detects the virus after about 70 days.

NAT was implemented Oct. 26 at regional laboratories in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax.

Some physicians have criticized the move. In a recent letter to CMAJ, Dr. David Massel of London, Ont., wrote: "It is not so much that $20 million is being spent annually for so little gain, it is the lost opportunity of not being able to fund other, perhaps more worthwhile, initiatives given the competing claims for limited funding."

With the new test, Canada will continue to uphold international standards, says Mumford, vice-president of marketing and communications at CBS. He says this is vital because Canada continues to import 60% of its plasma products from the US. NAT was implemented in the US last summer.

Mumford says he doesn't know where the CBS will draw the line on cost benefits of new technologies, although the year-old not-for-profit organization will be examining that question over the next few years.

"We have to ensure we spend taxpayers money in an appropriate way but the public says we want this to be as safe as it can be to avoid what happened in the '80s - $1.4-billion in compensation, thousands of lives impacted and great tragedy."

The Canadian Hemophilia Society heartily endorses the new technology. "We feel NAT is a big step forward and shows CBS really is a new organization," said Vice-President Mike McCarthy.

CBS also recently introduced leukoreduction, which filters out white cells to reduce the incidence of adverse reactions to transfusions. It cost $15 million a year and also ensures the CBS meets international standards. - Barbara Sibbald, eCMAJ

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