Blood Money: Bayer’s Inventory of HIV-Contaminated Blood Products and Third World Hemophiliacs

Abstract

This article presents an overlooked case of research misconduct and violations of basic principles of medical and business ethics. When Bayer’s Cutter Laboratories realized that their blood products, Factor VIII and IX or antihemophiliac factor (AHF), were contaminated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the financial investment in the product was considered too high to destroy the inventory. Cutter misrepresented the results of its own research and sold the contaminated AHF to overseas markets in Asia and Latin America without the precaution of heat treating the product recommended for eliminating the risk. As a consequence, hemophiliacs who infused the HIV-contaminated Factor VIII and IX tested positive for HIV and developed AIDS.

Keywords:

• AIDS
• antihemophiliac factor (AHF)
• Bayer
• Cutter Laboratories
• hemophilia
• hepatitis
• human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Third World

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors wish to acknowledge critical evaluation and legal review from Michael L. Baum, Esq., Frances M. Phares, Esq., and Ronald Goldman, Esq.

We also thank two anonymous reviewers for many helpful suggestions.

Disclosure

Leemon McHenry is research consultant for the law firm of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, Los Angeles, California.