Op-Ed: Big business in body parts

March 7, 2007

On Thursday, the biotech firm LifeCell Corp. announced its financial results for 2006. LifeCell’s revenues — $140.6 million for the year, a 51% increase over 2005 — are testament to its remarkable technologies, including a revolutionary skin graft for burn victims. But there may be another reason for LifeCell’s impressive numbers: The company uses human remains to manufacture its most profitable product, but it doesn’t have to compensate the families of the dead. (Los Angeles Times)