Some patient advocacy groups are voicing concerns that a federal policy blocking Mexican nationals from entering the U.S. to donate plasma could cause shortages of critical drugs used to treat neurological and autoimmune diseases, The Wall Street Journal reported March 9.
About 10 percent of all plasma collected in the U.S. comes from Mexican nationals who enter the country on visitor visas to donate. In June 2021, U.S. border officials said they would no longer permit the practice, saying it qualifies as labor for hire — which isn't permitted under visitor visas — as donors receive about $50 each time they donate plasma.
Drugmakers who use plasma as an ingredient in their medications have asked federal courts to overturn the policy. The companies contend plasma donation shouldn't be considered labor for hire, as donors are getting paid for their time — not the plasma — and there is no exchange of work. A spokesperson for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection declined the Journal's request for comment on the litigation.
Patient advocacy groups are closely monitoring the situation, as a plasma shortage could limit the availability of certain treatments.
"We're very, very nervous that we're just on the cusp of possibly a very major shortage," Lisa Butler, executive director of the GBS|CIDP Foundation International, told the Journal. The foundation represents people with rare neurological disorders who often require treatment with immunoglobulin, or antibodies collected from plasma.
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