Health Canada Suspends Grifols Licence at Winnipeg Plasma Clinic

By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi / Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada September 23, 2026

Health Canada has suspended the licence of a Grifols plasma collection facility in Winnipeg, citing continuing regulatory deficiencies at the site as the private company faces increased scrutiny over its operations in Canada.

The suspension affects Grifols’ Taylor Avenue plasma collection facility, where Health Canada says the company failed to effectively implement some corrective and preventive measures and did not demonstrate that the site had an effective quality management system.

The federal regulator issued the suspension on Wednesday, September 23. The decision comes weeks after Grifols voluntarily paused plasma collection at all of its Canadian facilities.

Why Health Canada suspended the licence

Health Canada said its decision followed a series of inspections and compliance checks at the Taylor Avenue facility.

An initial compliance verification inspection took place on November 20, 2025, after which the regulator identified deficiencies at the site.

Health Canada then conducted an unannounced inspection on June 23, 2026.

Following additional compliance checks, the department informed Grifols on July 13 that several required conditions had not been satisfied and warned that the site’s licence could be suspended if the problems were not adequately addressed.

The regulator ultimately proposed a suspension on August 13.

A day later, Grifols announced that it was voluntarily pausing plasma collection at all of its Canadian facilities.

That pause remains in effect.

Health Canada cites quality management concerns

According to Health Canada, the suspension was imposed because Grifols had not effectively implemented certain corrective and preventive actions.

The department also said the Taylor Avenue facility had failed to demonstrate that it had established an effective quality management system.

The findings are significant because plasma collection facilities are subject to federal requirements governing how donations are collected, processed and managed.

Health Canada said the conditions imposed on Grifols’ licence for its Canadian plasma collection facilities remain in place.

The regulator added that it will continue working with the company as it attempts to implement corrective action plans and eventually resume operations.

Two people died after donating plasma in Winnipeg

The suspension comes after two people died following plasma donations at Grifols facilities in Winnipeg.

One of them was 22-year-old international student Rodiyat Alabede, who died in October 2025 after donating plasma.

A second person died in January after making a plasma donation.

The deaths prompted Health Canada to conduct an assessment into whether there was any connection between the plasma donation process and the deaths.

In April, Health Canada said it had found no link between the deaths and the plasma donation process. An autopsy of Alabede found that she had a pre-existing heart condition and died of cardiac arrest.

Alabede’s family has disputed the conclusion and called for the investigation to be reopened.

The family’s concerns have added to wider calls for greater transparency around Grifols’ operations and Health Canada’s regulatory oversight.

Grifols previously paused operations across Canada

The latest suspension follows Grifols’ decision in August to voluntarily stop plasma collection at all of its Canadian centres.

At the time, the company said it was pausing operations because of what it described as “unfounded attention” surrounding compensated plasma collection.

Grifols said the temporary pause would allow it to work with Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services on measures needed to support the future of its plasma collection network in Canada.

The company has said it remains committed to working with the regulator and addressing the concerns that have been raised.

Health Canada says blood supply is not at risk

The regulatory action does not mean Canada’s overall blood supply is in immediate danger.

When Grifols announced its nationwide pause in August, Health Canada said the decision would not affect the safety or security of Canada’s blood supply.

Canadian Blood Services, Héma-Québec and provincial and territorial partners were continuing to coordinate to ensure the country’s blood and plasma needs were met.

Canadian Blood Services has also previously said plasma collected by Grifols is important to increasing Canada’s supply of immunoglobulins, medicines that are made from plasma and used by thousands of Canadians.

The organization said it supports Health Canada’s regulatory oversight of plasma operations.

Health Canada can take further action

The federal department said its work with Grifols is continuing and that the company must satisfy regulatory requirements before operations can resume.

Health Canada said it will verify Grifols’ compliance before allowing the Taylor Avenue facility to restart plasma collection.

The department also warned that it “will not hesitate to take further action” if the company fails to meet the required standards.

That could place additional pressure on Grifols as it works to address deficiencies identified at its Canadian operations.

Questions remain over the company’s Canadian operations

The Winnipeg suspension is part of a broader regulatory scrutiny of Grifols’ Canadian operations.

Earlier inspections at other Grifols facilities and at the company’s Canadian head office identified quality-management concerns. Health Canada had previously placed conditions on the company’s licence covering its Canadian collection sites because of what it described as recurring or systemic deficiencies.

The latest action therefore puts the focus on whether Grifols can demonstrate that it has corrected the problems identified by federal regulators.

For now, the Taylor Avenue facility remains unable to collect plasma under its suspended licence, while Grifols works with Health Canada on corrective measures.

The regulator’s decision also comes amid continued public debate over the use of paid plasma donation centres in Canada and the balance between increasing the country’s plasma supply and ensuring strong protections for donors.