Bad Batch

One medical technology company, an earnest and believable CEO, and persuasive marketing campaigns all lead to patient harm instead of miracle cures. What happened?

Bad Batch is a podcast that digs deep into the archives of an industry to understand why we seek unproven miracle cures and how dangerous that may be. Under the scrutiny of reporter Laura Beil, the stem cell industry appears to be defined as much by avarice and recklessness as by its incredible scientific benefits. This true-crime-meets-medical-research podcast shows that nothing is as easy as we might like it to be, especially in matters of life or death. The stem cell industry is precisely that—an industry—and Bad Batch tells its story with no punches pulled. The series traces what happens when vials of stem cells are shipped around the country, leading to incredible results that seem like miracles. And then one bad batch spreads disaster. What, then, is the price of a cure?

Beil builds on her decorated performance on Dr. Death to take the reins for Bad Batch, an eight-part investigative series from Wondery. Episodes shine arresting light on the dark world of stem cell research, the money made from treatments, the ambitions of a charismatic CEO, the desperate search for cures, and vials of stem cells that could be ticking time bombs. It all makes for an extraordinary story, as thrilling as it is horrifying.