Use of Human Cell Lines in Pharmaceuticals – Canada
Various commercially available pharmaceutical products are derived from or cultivated on fetal cells lines that were obtained from abortions. Patients may have a biological, ethical or religious objection to products that come from human sources. The chart below allows us to provide information to patients to make informed decisions. It also makes known the fact the alternatives are available in other countries and should be available in Canada.
NOTE:
-All flu vaccines use non-human cell lines
-Immune-Globulin shots will provide temporary immunity (3-5 months) for Hepatitis-A and Rubella
Disease | Drug Name | Manufacturer | Cell Line (Fetal) | Alternative Drug/Manufacturer |
Chickenpox | Varilrix ®Varivax® | GSKMerck & Co | MRC-5WI-38, MRC-5 | None Available |
Hepatitis A | Epaxal®Havrix ®Vaqta ®Avaxim ®Avaxim Pediatric ® | Berna BiotechGSKMerck & CoSanofi PasteurSanofi Pasteur | MRC-5MRC-5MRC-5MRC-5MRC-5 | Aimmungen®KaketsukenVero (monkey)Available in Japan and Europe |
Hepatitis A and Typhoid Fever | Vivaxim ® | Sanofi Pasteur | MRC-5 | As above for Hep A component |
Hepatitis A & B | Twinrix ® (Hep A Component) | GSK | MRC-5 | As above for Hep A component, Hep B is derived from yeast |
Measles, Mumps, Rubella | Priorix ®MMR II ® | GSKMerck & Co | MRC-5RA27/3, WI-38 | Attenuvax® (Measles)MerckChick embryoAvailabe in USMumpsvax ® (Mumps)
Merck Chick embryo Available in US Takahashi (Rubella) Kitasato Institute Rabbit Available in Japan and Europe |
MMR + Chickenpox | ProQuad ® | Merck & Co. | RA27/3, WI-38, MRC-5 | None Available |
Polio | Inactived Poliomyelitis Vaccine – IPV ®Pentacel ®Quadracel ®Td Polio Adsorbed ® | Sanofi Pasteur | MRC-5 | Infanrix-IPV, Infanrix Hexa & IPV/Hib®GSK (Europe) Vero CellsPediacel to be offered in Alberta March 2007
|
Rabies | Imovax ® | Sanofi Pasteur | MRC-5 | Rabavert®ChironChick EmbryoAvailable in Canada |
Rheumatoid Arthiritis | Enbrel ® | Immunex(Amgen) | WI-26 VA4 | None Available |
Sepsis | Xigris ® | Eli Lilly | HEK-293 | None Available |
Reference:
1. Varilirix Product Monograph. GlaxoSmithKline Inc. http://www.gsk.ca/en/products/vaccines/varilrix_pm.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2006.
2. Varivax. Product Monograph. Merck. http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/v/varivax/varivax_pi.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2006.
3. An Advisory Committee Statement (ACS) National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). Supplementary Statement On Hepatitis A Vaccine (Acs-4). http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/00vol26/26sup/acs4.html. Accessed March 14, 2006.
4. Vaqta Product Monograph. Merck. http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/v/vaqta/vaqta_pi.pdf Accessed March 14, 2006.
5. Havrix. Product Monograph. GlaxoSmithKline Inc. http://www.gsk.ca/en/products/vaccines/havrix_pm.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2006.
6. Priorix Product Monograph. GlaxoSmithKline Inc. http://www.gsk.ca/en/products/vaccines/priorix_pm.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2006.
7. MMR II Product Monograph. Merck. http://www.merckfrosst.ca/e/products/monographs/M-M-R_II-756-a_3_02-E.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2006.
8. ProQuad Product Monograph. Merck. http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/p/proquad/proquad_pi.pdf . Accessed March 14, 2006.
9. IPV Product Monograph. http://www.vaccineshoppecanada.com/secure/pdfs/ca/ipv_E.pdf . Accessed March 14, 2006.
10. Imovax Product Monograph. http://198.73.159.214/statics/vaccines/english/IMOVAX_E.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2006.
11. Enbrel. United States Patent. http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,712,155.WKU.&OS=PN/5,712,155&RS=PN/5,712,155. Accessed March 14, 2006.
12. Vaccines And Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. United States Of America Food And Drug Administration Center For Biologics Evaluation And Research. http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/01/transcripts/3750t1.rtf . Accessed March 14, 2006.
13. Jacobs JP, et al. Characteristics of a human diploid cell designated MRC-5. Nature. 1970;227(5254):168-70.
14. Plotkin SA, Cornfield D, Ingalls TH. Studies of Immunization with living rubella virus: Trials in children with a strain cultured from an aborted fetus. Am J Dis Child.1965;110: 381-389.
15. Plotkin S, et. al. Attenuation of RA27/3 Rubella Virus in WI-38 Human Diploid Cells. Am J Dis Child.1969;118:178-185.
16. Weibel RE, et al. Clinical and laboratory studies of combined live measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines using the RA 27/3 rubella virus. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1980:165(2):323-326.
17. Hayflick L, et al. The serial cultivation of human diploid cell strains. Exp Cell Res. 1961;25:585-621.
Debbi, you are most welcome! And thank you for your kind words.
Thank you for the information in your article and the responses you made in the comments. God bless you.
Elisha, I have yet to research a psychotropic drug that was developed using fetal cell lines or fetal tissue of…
Dorothy, Actonel/risedronate sodium was not developed or tested, nor is it manufactured using aborted fetal cell lines or tissues of…
Hi, I appreciate your research and response. In your research do all psychotropic medications have fetal cells or MRC-5 fetal…
Vorrei sapere se gli anticorpi monoclonali per curare l'emicrania sono etici. Grazie.
Is risedronate sodium or actonel tested or derived from aborted fetal cells.
Andrew, the Tdap shots are ethically developed, tested and produced. There's a note at the bottom of the chart informing…
Anyone know about ethics and safety of Tdap for older kids and adults? I did not see it on the…
Thank you very much. I greatly appreciate your help and all the great work you do. God bless you all,…
Andrea, Paxlovid does not contain fetal cells. Aborted fetal cell lines were used in preclinical testing and were an essential…
I have Covid and my doctor has prescribed Paxlovid. I read that the development was compromised, but does the actual…
Chris, I sent a link to your email. You should have it shortly.
The link has disappeared. Where can I find the new updated ethical flu shot list for 2023-2024? Thank you.
Thank you kindly Jose for your help! Could you help me with one more …..Tamoxifen - for breast cancer? Does…