Question Period Note: PLASMA COLLECTION

• Many Canadians rely on plasma to treat life-threatening conditions. During the COVID-19 crisis, global demand, prices, and shortages have increased. The federal government recognizes that increasing domestic plasma sufficiency will help to provide security of supply. Budget 2021 funding will allow Canadian Blood Services to construct and start-up six plasma collection sites across the country by 2024

• Our Government recognizes the value of domestic plasma collection for the security of Canada’s supply of plasma-derived products.
• Close federal, provincial and territorial collaboration with the national blood and plasma agency is essential to achieving meaningful results in this critical area for the health and safety of Canadians.
• Budget 2021 provides $20 million, which allows Canadian Blood Services to build six new dedicated plasma collection sites across Canada to achieve a greater domestic supply.

Plasma-derived products (PDPs) are needed by thousands of Canadians to treat immune deficiencies, rare blood disorders, and other conditions. PDPs are manufactured from plasma through multiple processing steps. Most plasma products used worldwide are made from paid plasma donations and collected by the commercial sector. As the federal regulator, Health Canada is responsible for maintaining the safety of Canada’s blood supply and the plasma used in the production of drugs. Any establishment that collects plasma must hold a HC authorization and license, as well as meet the strict safety requirements under the Food and Drugs Act.

The need to enhance domestic plasma collection has been a long-standing issue given Canada’s dependence on paid-donor plasma from the United States. In 2019-20, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) was only able to supply 14% of the plasma needed to make PDPs used by Canadians outside of Québec. By the end of 2020-21, three new proof-of-concept plasma collection sites, opened by CBS over that year, raised this value to 15%.

Before federal funding was announced, PTs decided to provide CBS with start-up and operational funds for two new plasma collection sites. CBS remains on track to open these sites to the public by spring 2022.

The $20M in funding described in Budget 2021 is no longer sufficient to construct eight sites due to large COVID-19-related cost increases for labour, materials, and other necessary items/services. Given new financial realities, federal investments will only support the construction of six new plasma collection sites over 2022-24. CBS is currently determining locations for these sites.

However, with PT investments for two sites and federal investments for six sites, there will still be a total of eight new plasma collection sites. Together these sites are projected to increase domestic plasma sufficiency to 22% by 2027-28.

Québec operates its blood system, through Héma-Québec, separately from the other PTs and has already attained that value of domestic plasma supply.

The Budget 2021 investment in CBS provides opportunities for Canadians, including for construction of site enhancements and necessary refurbishments, as well as high quality jobs staffing the centres. The investment will also increase domestic plasma collection capacity and security of critically important therapeutics for Canadians, and has the potential to help mitigate rising healthcare costs for PTs within a decade.

KEY FACTS
• At the end of 2020-21, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) was only able to supply 15% of the plasma needed to make plasma-derived products used by Canadians outside of Québec. Québec operates its blood system, through Héma-Québec, separately from the other Provinces and Territories (PTs) and has already attained a greater percentage of domestic plasma supply at 22%. Prior to the pandemic, PTs, except Québec, approved three new proof-of-concept sites – CBS opened these sites in 2020-21. CBS is also on track to open two further sites to the public, in Orleans and Brampton, by spring 2022, in addition to the six plasma collection sites planned with federal investments by 2024.