Blood Farm

The shocking story of how corporate greed and political malfeasance turned a miracle treatment for hemophilia into a deadly poison. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, during the growing AIDS crisis, pharmaceutical companies like Bayer, Baxter, and Armour, harvested plasma on skid row, in night clubs, and in prisons for Factor VIII, a miracle treatment for people with hemophilia. These paid donations from people with a high-risk of HIV provided an ample supply of the blood clotting protein that could save hemophiliacs from debilitating, sometimes lethal, bleeds. It was a life changing revelation for an otherwise vulnerable population, and doctors, so seduced by its benefits that they were blinded to risks, eagerly prescribed Factor VIII. The results were catastrophic. In America, 8,000 people with hemophilia contracted HIV; only 700 are alive today. In this propulsive David and Goliath story, award winning journalist Cara McGoogan, follows the twisting trail of tightlipped executives and missing documents to bravely ask if the line of corruption could have been broken. Alongside her we meet survivors turned activists, determined small town lawyers, and fearless reporters desperate to uncover who is to blame for these thousands of unnecessary deaths. This masterful work of reportage brings the full truth to light to reveal a blueprint of corporate greed and malfeasance that is still at play today. Big pharma knew that Factor VIII was infected, but because miracles are a lucrative business, they sold a dangerous product and effectively played Russian Roulette with hemophiliacs’ lives. Blood Farm tells the courageous story of the survivors’ long fought battle for justice against unchecked greed and corporate negligence. Essential reading for fans of Beth Macy and Patrick Radden Keefe.

Pages: 320, Hardcover, Diversion Books