David Osborne Hagger, born in 1939 in London, England, is the former Head of Abridged Licensing and former Co-ordinator of the Executive support business of the Medicines Division of the Department of Health at Market Towers in London. On July 5, 1999 David Hagger appeared by Statement 476 before the BSE Inquiry concerning the use of animal byproducts in use during the licensed manufacture of medicines in the United Kingdom. (He is the first cousin of author Nicholas Hagger.)

BSE Inquiry

Children's vaccines

On July 5, 1999 David Hagger appeared by Statement 476 before the inquiry into Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease BSE Inquiry), concerning the use of animal byproducts in use during the licensed manufacture of medicines in the United Kingdom. He stated that in a previous enquiry the Agency had been asked to:

"... identify relevant manufacturers and obtain information about the bovine material contained in children’s vaccines, the stocks of these vaccines and how long it would take to switch to other products."

It was further reported that the:

"... use of bovine insulin in a small group of mainly elderly patients was noted and it was recognised that alternative products for this group were not considered satisfactory."

A medicines licensing committee report that same year recommended that: "... no licensing action is required at present in regard to products produced from bovine material or using prepared bovine brain in nutrient media and sourced from outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Isles and the Republic of Ireland provided that the country of origin is known to be free of BSE, has competent veterinary advisers and is known to practise good animal husbandry."

British Diabetic Association concerns

In 1990 the British Diabetic Association became concerned regarding the safety of bovine insulin and the government licensing agency assured them that:

"... there was no insulin sourced from cattle in the UK or Ireland and that the situation in other countries was being monitored."

Cosmetics

In 1991 a European Community Commission:

"... expressed concerns about the possible transmission of the BSE/scrapie agent to man through use of certain cosmetic treatments."

Surgical concerns

Sources in France reported to the British Medicines Control Agency:

"... that there were some licensed surgical sutures derived from French bovine material." Concerns were also raised: "... regarding a possible risk of transmission of the BSE agent in gelatin products."