Japan premier says government responsible for hepatitis from tainted blood
December 24, 2007TOKYO – The Japanese government bears the ultimate responsibility for hepatitis C infections caused by tainted blood products, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Monday.
“Pharmaceutical matters are the responsibility of the authority that grants permissions for them,” Fukuda said. “In that sense, I believe the government bears responsibility in various ways, including moral responsibility.”
“I expect we’ll be discussing the matter further in the (governing) party as we work on this,” he added, referring to proposed legislation aimed at providing aid to a group of about 1,000 hepatitis C sufferers.
The prime minister also said he intends to meet with the group, who are seeking damages from the government and drugmakers.
About 200 patients have filed lawsuits in five courts across Japan, demanding compensation from the government and drugmakers Nihon Pharmaceutical Co., Mitsubishi Pharma Corp. – now called Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma – and its subsidiary Benesis Corp.. Japanese news media say about 800 more are expected to file suits.
The plaintiffs said they contracted hepatitis C while using defective blood-clotting medicines, mostly in the 1980s, and claim the government and the drugmakers continued to use the medicines, despite knowing they were potentially contaminated.
Four of the five courts have ordered the defendants – the government and drugmakers – to compensate dozens of patients and the Osaka High Court issued a settlement proposal in November. The two sides have since attempted to reach an out-of-court settlement, although negotiations have bogged down over how the plaintiffs would be compensated.
On Sunday, Fukuda said his governing bloc would submit legislation – drafted in consultation with the main opposition Democratic party – to provide aid to tainted blood patients.
Although as many as 10,000 people may have been infected by hepatitis C through the tainted products, only the 1,000 lawsuit participants are expected to be eligible for the aid.
The drugmakers have publicly said little on the issue, other than they were keeping a close eye on the progress of the lawsuits. Phones rang unanswered at the three companies Monday.
Hepatitis C is a chronic, blood-borne virus that that can cause damage to the liver leading to cancer, cirrhosis and liver failure. It is treatable but many people who have the disease do not even know they are infected.
An estimated two million Japanese have contracted the disease, many through tainted blood products, news reports say.