Big Pharma's Blood Plasma Business Documentary

Why is blood worth more than oil? For impoverished Americans, blood donations have become a source of income - presenting a real risk to their health, as they lie about their health conditions and donate repeatedly to make ends meet.

Plasma, a component of blood that is highly sought-after, now costs more liter per liter than petrol. Used by pharmaceutical companies to create expensive medications, this precious liquid has become a lucrative commodity.

The film investigates one of the largest corporations in this flourishing market, with profits soaring over a billion euros. Their donation centers are mostly found in poor neighborhoods in the U.S., and they pay donors for their blood, a practice forbidden in Europe.

Other donors give their blood in the hope of helping others- but the reality of where their donations actually go can be somewhat different. We investigate the global trade in blood and plasma donations.

Directed by Java Films