Protamine Sulfate Injection

Protamine sulfate is a drug that reverses the anticoagulant effects of liver compounds such as heparin.

Protamine is extracted from the sperm¹ of salmon² and other species of fish, and then made into a protamine sulfate injection which is a necessary drug for people recovering from heart surgery. Recently however, many hospitals have been running out of it and some have even had to cancel surgical³ operations.

Yajie has the detail.

People who are suffering from heart disease are yearning⁴ for surgical treatments, but some hospitals have had to postpone⁵ them because they are running out of "protamine sulfate injections", a treatment that is often necessary after surgeries because it reduces bleeding.

Muo Xuming, the deputy director of the Nanjing Children's Hospital, says their hospital is at risk of giving up heart surgery soon.

"Generally we have six to eight surgeries per day, which is more than a hundred in a month. We are trying very hard to buy protamine sulfate injections through various channels, and our stocks can only be sustained for one month at most."

Protamine sulfate is extracted from the sperm of salmon and other species of fish, and right now, there is no alternative drug.

Actually several hospitals have been short of this medicine for months. Take Nanjing for example, the Nanjing children's hospital has had a shortage since March; the Gulou hospital has stocks for half a month, and the Nanjing First hospital can only sustain themselves for one week. The secretary to the chairman of the Nanjing Medical Corporation says they are also facing the same problem.

"All the hospitals are asking for this drug, but we don't have it either, because the pharmaceutical⁶ company doesn't deliver it to us. The medicine producer has reduced their output due to the lack of raw materials."

According to the State Food and Drug Administration, there used to be six Pharmaceutical companies producing this drug. But right now, the Shanghai No. 1 Biochemical & Pharmaceutical Corporation is the only domestic producer. Apart from the shortage of raw materials, Hu Songhao, a pharmacist from Xin Hua Hospital, says the low prices are the main cause.

"It seems the price has never changed, and it's very cheap, 12.2 yuan for each dose."

Industry insiders say the price of this drug has not been changed for 20 years, so there is no profit inducement for producers. This makes it easy to understand why pharmaceutical corporations have stopped producing it.

But the problem is, as special commodities, drugs, are used to save people's lives. Although this reduction is in line with the market practices, the production halt is pushing the patients into a dangerous position.

Actually many cheap but effective drugs have vanished in recent years. They have been changed by name, packaging and sometimes dosages, and then sold at a much higher price. Therefore cheap medicine production should be financed by the government.

But the good news is that the Shanghai pharmaceutical company says it has brought forward its production schedule and a batch⁷ of protamine sulfate injection will be on the domestic market later this month.

1 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

2 salmon   

n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的

参考例句：

• We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
• Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

3 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

4 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

5 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

6 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

7 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。