FDA boosts heparin death toll

WASHINGTON, April 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it appears 62 people have died of allergic reactions to the blood thinner heparin since early 2007.

The new figure is more than triple the previous report of 19 deaths, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. In 2006, only three deaths were attributed to allergic reactions to the blooding-thinning drug, which is made from pig intestines.

The FDA said it is aggressively investigating serious injuries and deaths associated with the use of heparin that contained an active pharmaceutical ingredient from China. Baxter International Inc. has recalled heparin products that were found to be contaminated.

An FDA spokeswoman said 19 deaths may be linked to Baxter's heparin, although Baxter said it counts only four deaths as possibly tied to Baxter products, the Journal said.