Beyond the Market - Commentary

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study. // This commentary discusses the increasing application of market logic to the donation, processing, and distribution of plasma and plasma-derived medicinal products. It argues that commodification across the plasma value chain poses ethical, social, and systemic risks for both donors and patients. Rather than focusing on isolated elements such as donor remuneration or commercial fractionation, the analysis adopts a systemic perspective, treating the plasma value chain as an integrated whole. It shows how market-oriented governance, even in contexts where donation is formally non-remunerated, can still result in plasma being transformed into profit-generating commodities. Drawing on empirical examples and policy developments, the commentary highlights how profit-driven arrangements may contribute to structural exploitation of socioeconomically vulnerable donors and to inequitable access to essential medicines for patients. It also situates emerging policy shifts toward shared stewardship and collective responsibility within broader international efforts to safeguard substances of human origin. Finally, the commentary reflects on the ambiguous status of plasma as both part of the human body and a circulating product, arguing that meaningful decommodification requires not only regulatory reform but also a rethinking of the language and assumptions through which plasma is understood.