UK immunoglobulin supply faces growing pressure, report warns
pharmafile | October 12, 2026 | News story | Manufacturing and Production | Critical supplies, Immunology, NHS Blood and Transplant, Neurology, procurement
The UK may face increasing pressure to secure long-term supplies of immunoglobulin (Ig), with rising demand and heavy reliance on imported plasma leaving the NHS exposed to supply and cost pressures, according to a new report from the Office of Health Economics (OHE).
The report, commissioned and funded by argenx, found that around 80% of the UK’s Ig supply is currently imported, predominantly from US-sourced plasma. UK plasma collection is also below levels seen in comparable European countries, at around 4.4 litres per 1,000 people compared with a European average of 14 litres.
NHS Blood and Transplant is aiming to reach 30–35% self-sufficiency in plasma by 2030. The report notes that even if this target is achieved, a substantial proportion of NHS demand would continue to depend on imports.
Demand for Ig has increased by around 30% since 2015 and is expected to continue rising, driven by improved diagnosis, wider clinical eligibility and secondary antibody deficiencies. In 2024/25, 16,709 patients received Ig therapy in the UK.
The OHE identified three pressures likely to increase over the next decade: rising demand, increasing acquisition costs and constraints on health-system capacity to deliver treatment.
It proposes four measures to improve long-term supply: strengthening NHS procurement, maintaining clinical stewardship, increasing domestic plasma collection and supporting the uptake of clinically appropriate alternatives where they demonstrate clinical and cost-effectiveness.
Amanda Cole, Director at OHE and co-author of the report, said the UK’s current approach to Ig supply was working well but that rising demand and reliance on imports created future vulnerabilities.
“Without coordinated policy action we risk creating future vulnerabilities that could compromise patient access,” she said.
Rich Collins, CEO of Inflammatory Neuropathies UK, said supply disruption could have serious consequences for patients who have no suitable alternatives to Ig treatment.
The report drew on economic modelling, a literature review and a multi-stakeholder roundtable involving NHS, clinical and patient representatives.
Pic: RDNE
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