04/14/2025

Millions in the U.S. Take Heparin

Tariffs might complicate their care

In Baltimore, Maryland, thousands of miles from a manufacturing plant in China, where the key active ingredient in heparin is sourced, Wanda Crowell receives a daily infusion of the drug in her bed at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Doctors give Crowell the inexpensive, essential anticoagulant every day, to prevent life-threatening blood clots from forming in her central line, a plastic tube inserted in her chest that delivers the nutrients she needs to live. A two-time cancer survivor, the 66-year-old has not been able to eat solid food since 2021. She also needs heparin to treat a history of blood clots.

For Crowell, there is no suitable alternative. While other patients may have options, she cannot take oral medications.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.