A marker test for hepatitis C was carried out on some blood donations collected by the Blood Transfusion Services Board as early as 1989, it emerged yesterday.
The ALT test, however, was not carried out on all blood before it was used to make clotting agents for haemophiliacs. This was despite the fact the test was believed to detect blood donations at risk of transmitting non-A, non-B hepatitis, which later became known as hepatitis C, in up to 40 per cent of cases.
The BTSB sought funding from the Department of Health to implement ALT testing of all blood in 1987 and followed up the request at regular intervals but money was never forthcoming. Eventually, when an actual test for hepatitis C was identified, it was implemented in 1991.
However, in a letter opened to the tribunal yesterday by counsel for the Irish Haemophilia Society, Mr John Trainor, it emerged that the BTSB wrote to the Octapharma pharmaceutical company in June 1989 saying it had about 6,000 litres of plasma (a blood derivative) in stock which had been ALT tested. It wondered if Octapharma could use it.
Asked about the letter, Mr Ted Keyes, former BTSB chief executive, said the amount which was ALT tested was not significant.
Mr Trainor said it was one third of the annual plasma requirement which was sent to West Germany to be made into factor 8 clotting agents by the Armour pharmaceutical company.
Mr Keyes explained that a certain amount of plasma had to be ALT tested for Kabi, another pharmaceutical firm, which bought 18-hour-old plasma from the board for a period of time.
Counsel said that surely if plasma could be ALT tested for one company, it could be tested for another. He suggested the reason it wasn't tested going to Armour was because this would have cost money and eaten into the profits which would be made from the deal with Armour. The annual surplus from that contract was estimated to be over £100,000.
Mr Keyes rejected this. He said ALT testing of all blood was "a bigger proposition altogether" and the approval of the Department of Health was sought.