Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A page-turning account of the most notorious drug of the 20th century and the never-before-told story of its American survivors. In 1959, a Cincinnati pharmaceutical firm, the William S. Merrell Company, quietly began distributing samples of an exciting new wonder drug already popular around the world. Billed as a sedative without risks, thalidomide pills were handed out freely, under the guise of clinical trials, to tens of thousands of patients by doctors who believed FDA approval was imminent.
When the application for thalidomide landed on Frances Kelsey's desk at the FDA in 1960, it did seem destined to sail through the review process. But when Kelsey learned that the drug was causing terrible birth abnormalities abroad, she and a team of dedicated doctors, parents, and journalists battled Big Pharma to block its authorization in the United States and stop its sale around the world, including in Germany, where it had first been patented by Chemie Grunenthal, a pharmaceutical company founded by former Nazis.
Jennifer Vanderbes set out to write about Kelsey's victory, and discovered that not only had the Merrell Company distributed millions of pills to doctors nationwide, but, years before, another American drug company had enlisted doctors to test the drug on patients. Vanderbes's investigation uncovered that for over five years, the toxic sedative reached tens of thousands of unwitting patients in the U.S., including hundreds of pregnant women.
Vanderbes probed government and corporate archives, interviewed hundreds of key players, and tracked down scores of unreported survivors. Deceived by the drug firms, betrayed by doctors, and ignored by the government, most of these Americans had spent their lives unaware that thalidomide had caused their birth abnormalities.
Now, for the first time, they have a chance to lay bare a shocking episode in American history, shining a light on the deceptive practices of Big Pharma that continue to endanger lives today.
Synopsis
"A shocking saga of pharmaceutical malpractice . . . Wonder Drug is both a first-rate medical thriller and the searing account of a forgotten American tragedy."--Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Empire of Pain A page-turning account of the most notorious drug of the twentieth century and the never-before-told story of its American survivors.
In 1959, a Cincinnati pharmaceutical firm, the William S. Merrell Company, quietly began distributing samples of an exciting new wonder drug already popular around the world. Touted as a sedative without risks, thalidomide was handed out freely, under the guise of clinical trials, by doctors who believed approval by the Food and Drug Administration was imminent.
But in 1960, when the application for thalidomide landed on the desk of FDA medical reviewer Frances Kelsey, she quickly grew suspicious. When she learned that the drug was causing severe birth abnormalities abroad, she and a team of dedicated doctors, parents, and journalists fought tirelessly to block its authorization in the United States and stop its sale around the world.
Jennifer Vanderbes set out to write about this FDA success story only to discover a sinister truth that had been buried for decades: For more than five years, several American pharmaceutical firms had distributed unmarked thalidomide samples in shoddy clinical trials, reaching tens of thousands of unwitting patients, including hundreds of pregnant women.
As Vanderbes examined government and corporate archives, probed court records, and interviewed hundreds of key players, she unearthed an even more stunning find: Scores of Americans had likely been harmed by the drug. Deceived by the pharmaceutical firms, betrayed by doctors, and ignored by the government, most of these Americans had spent their lives unaware that thalidomide had caused their birth defects.
Now, for the first time, this shocking episode in American history is brought to light. Wonder Drug gives voice to the unrecognized victims of this epic scandal and exposes the deceptive practices of Big Pharma that continue to endanger lives today.