Canadian Firms, Govts Accused Over HIV Blood

Armour Pharmaceutical (an affiliate of Rhone-Poulenc Rorer), Baxter Corp, Bayer Inc and Connaught Labs have been accused in Canada of continuing to distribute blood products which could transmit HIV and failing to warn consumers of the dangers after they had become aware of them.

The allegations are made in notices sent privately to the four companies by the Commission of Inquiry into the Blood System in Canada under Judge Horace Krever last December, but have now had to become public because the companies are seeking to have the notices overturned in the Federal Court. Notices have also been served on the federal government and eight provincial governments, the Canadian Red Cross Society and a number of individuals. They are bringing the joint action to ask the court to either overturn the notices or give them the opportunity to defend themselves.

The notices were sent under Section 13 of the federal Inquiries Act, which states that inquiry commissioners must inform any party in advance if they are to be accused of "allegations of potential misconduct" in the commission's final report.