Military Wants To Test Blood Substitute On Civilians

AP
Monday, December 18, 2006

Washington -- The military says it could save lives in war zones like Iraq. But the Navy wants to test a blood substitute on civilian trauma victims without getting informed consent.

Hemopure is derived from cow blood. If the Food and Drug Administration agrees, it would be given to patients between the ages of 18 and 69 who've lost dangerous amounts of blood. They'd get it on the way to the hospital, instead of saline fluids that are normally given in ambulances.

The military says there's an urgent need for a blood substitute. They say more than two-thirds of the American troops who die of trauma in Iraq without reaching a hospital have severe bleeding.

Officials say they can't test the new product on the battlefield because it's too uncontrolled to do research. Three times since June 2005, the FDA has blocked Hemopure trials from starting. Each time, it has cited safety concerns.