The Lindsay Tribunal has heard that the Irish Medicines Board was informed that the blood bank was issuing a questionable clotting agent, but this was apparently not followed up. Dr Marie Burns, Deputy Medical Director of the Irish Medicines Board, the body which licences drugs in this country, told the Tribunal that there was no documentation on the "medical file" to suggest that any action was taken.
The warning came in a letter from Professor Ian Temperley, Medical Director of the National Haemophilia Treatment Centre, in December 1984. Professor Temperley wrote to Dr Scott, who was the head of the then "National Drugs Advisory Board" to state that the blood bank was intending to heat-treat its Factor 9 concentrate "shortly".
The Tribunal has already heard how the blood bank had corresponded with the NDAB about seeking authorisation for Factor 9 between 1981 and 1984, but this never happened.
John Finlay, SC for the Tribunal, asked Dr Burns if there was any evidence to show that Dr Scott followed up on the communication to see if the blood bank did introduce heat treatment in line with NDAB policy. Dr Burns said that there was nothing on the file to suggest that Dr Scott, who is now deceased, had followed up on the communication.
It is already been established that the non-heat-treated Factor 9 concentrate made by Pelican House was still being issued in 1986. It infected seven haemophiliacs with HIV, five of whom have died. One passed the virus on to his partner.
