Grifols pauses plasma collections at Canadian clinics after two donor deaths, as government investigation begins

Grifols, the Spanish healthcare company that operates a network of private plasma donation clinics in Canada, said it is pausing plasma collections after the deaths of two donors and the start of a government investigation into potential unsafe practices at its clinics, according to a report published August 14 by The Guardian. The pause is intended to slow down collection activities while officials review whether clinic procedures complied with safety and regulatory requirements.

The company said the collection pause applies across its Canadian operations. Grifols runs 17 clinics in Canada and, according to the report, is the only private plasma provider operating clinics in the country. The company framed the pause as precautionary, tied directly to the ongoing government probe and the circumstances surrounding the two reported deaths.

The Guardian reported that the Canadian government investigation was launched after concerns were raised about the safety of practices at Grifols A clinics. While the report did not attribute the donors’ deaths to specific causes, it tied the regulatory response to questions about clinic procedures and whether they may have exposed donors to preventable harm.

A plasma donation pause can affect more than donor routines, because plasma collected through donation centers is used to manufacture therapies for patients who rely on blood-derived medicines. In the near term, the pause is likely to complicate supply planning for Canadian plasma-based products, depending on how other collection sites and supply chains are managed while Grifols’ collections are suspended.

The report described Grifols as the sole private clinic operator in Canada, which increases the practical impact of any suspension on donor access and on downstream production schedules. Regulatory review during a collection pause is also designed to establish whether systemic issues exist, such as staffing practices, medical screening, adverse-event reporting, or other operational safeguards.

Grifols said the pause would remain in effect while the government completes its inquiry into the potential unsafe practices. The Guardian report emphasized that the decision follows both the reported donor deaths and the initiation of official scrutiny.

As of the publication of the August 14 report, details about the government’s investigative scope and timeline were not fully laid out in the coverage. The next steps for Grifols and regulators will likely include any findings related to clinic safety controls, potential corrective actions, and whether collections can resume under revised oversight conditions.