Packaging for bulk pack of 8Y250, with single packet of same but no contents, by Bioproducts Laboratory, UK, Dagger Lane, Elstree, Herts., WD6 3BX, England, 1994

8Y250 is used to treat von Willebrand’s disease, a hereditary disorder where there is an absence of von Willebrand’s Factor in the blood. This factor is necessary in normal blood clotting as it is responsible for blood platelets sticking together. It was named after its discoverer, E von Willebrand (1870-1949), a Finnish physician. This medicine can also be used to treat Haemophilia A, which is an inherited condition caused by a lack of the blood clotting ‘Factor VIII’ (VIII is the Latin equivalent to the number 8).

The 8Y250 is a combination of von Willebrand Factor with Factor VIII. It was prepared from blood donated voluntarily and is intended to be intravenously injected. This box, when complete, contained eight bottles of 8Y250, a filter needle and an information leaflet. The Bioproducts Laboratory is a not-for-profit organisation owned by the British government.