Plasma Landscape in Italy – Overview and Challenges

Publication Date: 25 February 2026

Continuing Education Credits: 0.5 hours

Course Description

In this lecture, Dr. Vincenzo De Angelis, Director of the Italian National Blood Centre (CNS) describes the organization and provides an overview of the collection of human plasma in the Italian national blood establishments and of its contract-manufacturing fractionation into medicinal products (PDMPs). His presentation summarizes the results of Italian programme for Country self-sufficiency in plasma-derived medicinal PDMPs and for the international cooperation in the field of PDMPs. The presentation also gives insight into the prevalence and incidence of transfusion-transmitted infections of interest for the plasma master-file of the Italian plasma, submitted to the European Medicine Agency (EMA). Finally, recent epidemiological data on B19V infection within the Italian donor population are reviewed, and precautionary recommendations for preventing transfusion-transmitted B19V infections drafted by the Italian National Blood Centre are presented.

Lecture Objectives

Introduce the organization of the collection and fractionation programme for Italian self-sufficiency in Plasma-derived Medicinal Products (PDMPs)
Describe the present situation and the evolving landscape of the collection and fractionation of human plasma in Italy
Provide data on the achievements and on the unmet demand and understand the plasma value chain in Italy
Describe the activities of the Italian international cooperation in the field of PDMPs
Provide data of prevalence and incidence of Transfusion-transmitted infections (HIV, HBV, HCV, Syphilis) relevant for the plasma-master file
Give details on Parvovirus B19 infection among Italian blood donors

Run Time: 27:51

Course Instructor Bio(s)

Vincenzo De Angelis, MD

President, European School of Transfusion Medicine (ESTM)
Milan, Italy

Dr. De Angelis graduated from Padua University School of Medicine in 1981 and achieved Speciality Diplomas in Haematology (Padua University, 1984) and Clinical Biology (Padua University, 1988). Since 1982, he has been working in different Italian Transfusion Services (Pordenone General Hospital, Aviano National Research Cancer Institute, Trieste University Hospital, Udine University Hospital). Until very recently, he acted as Director at the Italian National Blood Centre, Ministry of Health, the Italian Competent Authority on blood and blood products, member of the SOHO Coordination Board at DG Santé in Bruxelles (European Commission), and Italian representative at the CD-P-TS of the Council of Europe. At present he is the President of the European School of Transfusion Medicine (ESTM). He is a Member of the European Blood Alliance (EBA), the International Plasma and Fractionation Association (IPFA), and the ISBT Working Parties on Clinical Transfusion and Donors and Donations. He is an author or co-author of more than 150 publications (chapters on books, articles, abstracts) on different aspects of transfusion medicine.

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