Plasma clinic pauses operations in Canada amid ‘unfounded attention’

A plasma collection company is pausing operations in Canada due to “unfounded attention” after two people died following donations at Winnipeg clinics.

Grifols said in a statement Thursday it has “proactively and voluntarily decided to pause plasma collection activities at all its plasma donation centres in Canada,” citing “unfounded attention that has been focused on compensated plasma collection.”

A Health Canada investigation highlighted several concerns with the for-profit operator, which resulted in a notice of a non-compliance rating issued for a clinic in Winnipeg, located at 693 Taylor Ave.

A spokesperson for Health Minister Marjorie Michel said the safety of Canadians must always come first.

“We welcome Grifols’ decision to temporarily close its plasma collection sites across Canada,” Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell said Thursday.

She said the private clinic was informed the concerns must be resolved.

“Health Canada will continue to work collaboratively with Grifols to ensure these concerns are addressed before any plasma collection sites can be reopened,” said Gauduchon-Campbell.

Details of the reasons behind the non-compliance notice were not made public.

The spokesperson said the move would have no effect on the safety and security of Canada’s blood supply.

“Canadian Blood Services, Héma Quebec, and our provincial and territorial partners are working together to ensure blood and plasma needs are met,” she said.

Grifols said the temporary shutdown will allow it to work with Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services “on the framework needed to support the continued development of a sustainable and robust plasma collection network in Canada.”

The company said it gave Health Canada notice of the closure on Wednesday. It said operations would resume “as soon as practicable.”

Grifols said it remains at the disposal of Health Canada throughout the process and reiterated it was committed to an open, transparent and collaborative dialogue with the federal regulator.

Health Canada said in the spring it found no links to plasma donations after two people died after giving plasma at two Winnipeg Grifols clinics in in October 2025 and January.

An autopsy revealed one of the donors, 22-year-old Rodiyat Alabede, had a pre-existing heart condition and died of cardiac arrest. Alabede’s family was unsatisfied with the findings and has called on Health Canada to release its investigative records into her death.

Katherine Lanteigne, a patient advocate for the Alabede family, said she was pleased by the news Thursday.

“They should never be permitted to open their doors again,” Lanteigne said.

She said she’s in the process of relaying information about the closure to the late woman’s family, many of whom live overseas.

She believes the Spain-based company is closing its doors as a way to avoid further scrutiny from Health Canada.

“It takes a village to make change,” Lanteigne said, saying it took courage for Alabede’s family to speak out. “It’s a testament to how much they loved their daughter.”

Noah Schulz, provincial director of the Manitoba Health Coalition, said he hopes the pause becomes permanent.

“My reaction to this is that this is a huge win for safe-blood advocates, for health advocates and for patients,” he said.

He rejected the notion the attention being put on Grifols is “unfounded,” pointing to non-compliance infractions at several of its Canadian sites.

He said Health Canada must increase efforts around around enforcement and compliance, alongside the creation of a public, voluntary system.

“The pause isn’t enough,” Schulz said. “I hope we can build momentum from the pause to eliminate this practise.”

An interview request with a representative from Grifols was not accommodated and an email with several followup questions was not immediately responded to.

Grifols operates more than 400 plasma centres in Canada, the United States, Europe and Egypt, its website says.

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca