A meeting report entitled “Increasing and improving plasma collection in Europe” has been published by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) on FreePub, the EDQM’s free publications platform.
Human plasma is essential for the manufacture of many life-saving medicines – including immunoglobulins, albumin and coagulation factors – used to treat patients with rare, chronic and life-threatening conditions. However, plasma collection in Europe remains insufficient to meet growing demand, resulting in a heavy reliance on imports and exposing patients to potential supply vulnerabilities.
To address this critical public health challenge, the EDQM convened a stakeholder event on Plasma Supply Continuity in Strasbourg on 26 and 27 March 2025. The meeting brought together more than 160 representatives from blood establishments, plasma fractionators, patient and donor organisations, regulators, industry, academia and European institutions.
Participants reviewed the current state of plasma supply in Europe, shared experience and good practice and discussed practical actions to increase plasma collection and secure sustainable patient access to plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMPs). They called for sustained political commitment and co-ordinated action at both national and European level.
The discussions highlighted several strategic priorities for strengthening Europe’s plasma supply:
- strategic national planning and investment;
- donor protection and evidence-based standards;
- improved data systems and interoperability;
- equitable and sustainable patient access;
- partnerships and regulatory coherence.
The report provides a comprehensive overview of the discussions and outcomes of the Strasbourg meeting and is intended to support Council of Europe member states and stakeholders to strengthen national plasma programmes and ensuring sustainable access to PDMPs for patients across Europe.
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