With the recent tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, experts are warning that new trade barriers could jeopardize the supply of heparin, an inexpensive and widely used anticoagulant critical for millions of hospitalized patients, The Washington Post reported April 13.
Wanda Crowell, a cancer survivor receiving daily infusions at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, relies on heparin to keep a central line open for nutrition. “If Wanda’s line is clotted off and we can’t get another line, she would not get her nutrition. The drug is central for her survival,” said Peggy Kraus, a pharmacist on Ms. Crowell’s care team.
Heparin, made from pig intestines and largely sourced from China, is used in surgeries and dialysis and to prevent blood clots in patients with IV lines. The U.S. has no domestic infrastructure capable of replacing international supply at scale, according to the Post.
President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 145% April 10 and in response, China retaliated with a 125% tariff on U.S. goods. This comes after he initially increased the tariff rate on China to 125% April 9, citing “lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets.”
In addition, President Trump announced April 8 that pharmaceutical imports will soon face “major tariffs,” after drug imports evaded the first round of tariffs.
The drug costs 70 cents per milliliter on average, but manufacturers can’t raise prices to offset the tariffs due to federal pricing gaps on generic medications. As a result, this could drive some producers out of the market or lead to quality concerns.
“In the scope of patients in the hospital, a few percent are getting antibiotics, but at least 50% to 70% of patients are ordered heparin or other related medications to help prevent blood clots,” said Elliott Haut, a Johns Hopkins Medicine trauma surgeon. “It’s the mainstay of therapy for thousands of Americans daily.”
Before President Trump took office, the FDA encouraged the reintroduction of bovine heparin to diversify the drug’s sourcing. However, it is unknown how the idea took to the rest of the medical community. In the meantime, hospitals like Johns Hopkins may be forced to make heparin in-house which can be a costly and time consuming process.
