A haemophiliac, who claims he contracted the HIV virus from a blood product made by Shanghai Institute of Biological Products (SIBP), has launched a 2 million yuan (US$250,000) compensation suit against the company.

A haemophiliac, who claims he contracted the HIV virus from a blood product made by Shanghai Institute of Biological Products (SIBP), has launched a 2 million yuan (US$250,000) compensation suit against the company.

Ziqiang, a Shenyang resident in his 30s, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, said he was infected with the HIV virus after using Factor VIII, a blood product for hemophilia that was made by Shanghai Institute of Biological Products (SIBP).

SIBP, part of the China National Bio-tech Corporation, is a large state-owned enterprise for the research and development, production and marketing of biological products.

Ziqiang only discovered he was HIV positive when his wife tested positive for HIV in 2003, when she went to donate blood. Ziqiang claims he unknowingly passed the virus on to her.

He said that he used the blood product for two years from 1994.

However, according to Ministry of Health regulations, SIBP was supposed to have stopped producing Factor VIII in 1995 because of health fears.

Ziqiang's lawyer Wu Yuntao, from local Liaoning Shengheng Law Consultant Agency, said the company failed to inform patients of the possible damage the product could cause.

"Moreover, they did not stop selling the product until 1996. This has led to the serious condition of my client" Wu said. "SIBP should compensate him."

He added he had collected "enough" evidence against SIBP to support his client's claim.

Li Wansheng, a senior manager of SIBP, said the company always followed Ministry of Health regulations.

He explained: "If our product has a problem, it is due to the confines of techniques and knowledge at that time. It is unfair for us to be responsible for that."

Li said SIBP stopped Factor VIII production in 1995 in line with Ministry of Health regulations. But he admitted that some marketing departments might have had stockpiles, which continued to be sold.

Kong Delin, head of China Hemophilia Home, a non-governmental organization, has been involved in organizing and helping the infected hemophiliacs to seek compensation from SIBP over the past few years.

Kong contracted hepatitis C from the same product.

According to Kong, there are more than 100 haemophiliacs confirmed to have contracted the HIV virus or hepatitis C through infected blood products in the early 1990s across the country.

About 60 of them, who live in Shanghai, have received 100,000 yuan ($12,500) compensation and monthly 1,000 yuan (US$125) allowances from the local Shanghai Red Cross.

Kong revealed that the money for compensation and allowances are given by SIBP.

Kong said: "We need help, especially those victims who contracted the HIV virus and hepatitis from blood products. We just want the company to pay our treatment fees."

(China Daily January 12, 2006)