Blood is so important that it is no wonder that there is a market for blood products. Here is the history of Plasma Fractionation

The history of plasma fractionation began with the need to develop blood serum products to help soldiers suffering from shock and burns in the Second World War. Dr. Edwin Cohn, of Harvard University, was a key figure in the development of a process to separate proteins from human plasma. Today, the “Cohn fractionation process,” remains the basis of many plasma fractionation facilities’ manufacturing process around the world.

Originally, the aim of plasma fractionation was to separate albumin from plasma to treat injured soldiers. Albumin represents 55-60% of the total protein volume of plasma, and is easier to separate from plasma than any other proteins. Over time, a number of additional proteins were separated from plasma and used clinically. Each of these proteins can be used to treat one or several medical conditions, many of which are orphan diseases – meaning the number of patients affected is comparatively small. Many of the diseases treated with proteins derived from plasma are serious, life-threatening conditions.

Most blood donors are unaware of what happens to their blood donations.

Here is a revealing documentary, and in a poor area of Cleveland, Ohio they get paid for their donations. The corporate secrecy and security at their place of work is evident.

This is one website that shows the market importance Plasma Fractionation Market

Major players in the global plasma fractionation industry include CSL (Australia), Grifols (Spain), Shire (Ireland), Octapharma (Switzerland), Kedrion (Italy), BPL .

Projections of worth here 36.8 Billion dollars by 2025

So blood donors check out who is getting rich from your donations! That is not to say that patients aren’t being helped by receiving donated blood, but the percentage is much smaller. About 80% is used for the Plasma Fractionation industry.

Personally I have never given blood except when necessary, because of being born jaundiced so I was told I couldn’t give blood. It was even difficult to find what blood group I am from any records (and I haven’t given birth), so I may have to try again for a test.

Whilst on holiday in 2013, my husband and I discovered that there was a treatment one could find which used one’s own blood which was spun and reinjected to an injured joint like a knee, which he sought out in London and had the treatment which was well worth it but expensive. It is called Platelet-rich Plasma. It did wonders for him as a previous operation had not been very good.

Blood Plasma defined by Lancet it is indeed a sought after human blood product and the corporations are making great profits from it.