Poison Pills
The Untold Story of
the VIOXX Drug Scandal
by
Tom Nesi
To
the millions of Americans who suffer
from chronic pain and arthritis, Vioxx
seemed like a miracle. One of the most
widely promoted and prescribed pain
medications in the world -- used by more
than twenty million people -- it was
endorsed by the medical establishment
and celebrities such as Olympic champion
figure skater Dorothy Hamill. With
annual sales of $2.5 billion, Vioxx
became a pharmaceutical bonanza before
being abruptly taken off the market in
September 2004, after it was revealed
that it led to an increased risk of
heart-related disease and death.
Drawing on internal documents, video footage, court
testimony, and exclusive interviews, as
well as three decades of experience
inside the medical industry, Tom Nesi
tells the dramatic story of what the
drug’s manufacturer, Merck, knew and
when. It is a compelling narrative of
business and medical science run amok,
with a cast of characters ranging from
those at the highest levels of the
multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical
industry to research scientists,
marketers, and drug company sales reps.
Here also are accounts from physicians,
lawyers, financial analysts, and
patients and their families whose lives
have been forever altered by Vioxx.
Set against a fascinating history of the origins of
the modern pharmaceutical industry,
POISON PILLS is a shocking tale that
involves the breakdown of the United
States medical system, the failures of
the Food and Drug Administration, and
enormous profits made by a large
pharmaceutical corporation at the
potential cost of thousands of lives.
Reviews:
“If medications had personalities, Vioxx
would be that macho guy in a Hummer who
just took your parking space (and the
one next to it), who then gets out,
smiling and talking on his cell phone.
Touted as a 'super aspirin,' Vioxx was,
for a time, the No. 1 pain medication in
the world, backed by aggressive
marketing to physicians and the public.
How it got to be 'the single greatest
drug safety catastrophe in the history
of the world,' in the words of a U.S.
Food and Drug Administration official,
is a fascinating story that’s told for
the first time . . . in Nesi’s carefully
researched chronicle of the Vioxx saga.”
--Calgary Herald
About the Author:
Tom Nesi
is a
communications professional with more
than thirty-five years experience in
medical communications and strategic
planning. He is a published author and
professional lecturer as well as a
medical film-maker.
Nesi has
worked for leading pharmaceutical
companies and medical schools as media
and marketing advisor, general
consultant and competitive research
analyst. His work has been extensively
produced and published and includes the
noted ABC television special Fight
For Life and the hard-cover and
paperback book The Fire Inside
(W.W. Norton, 1997.) Tom has lectured
at Harvard Medical School and the
University Medical Center of Princeton
on medical marketing, bioethics and
public relations practices.
TJN
Communications, the company he founded
in 1990, has done work for AstraZeneca
LP, Pfizer, JJ/Merck, Glaxo and
Pharmacia among many others. Tom was an
editor, reporter and consultant to
Medical News Network and organized
medical coverage of meetings such as the
American Heart Association.
Nesi has a
B.A. degree from Columbia University and
a Masters Degree from the University of
Southern California.
Visit
Tom's site and Read an Excerpt of POISON
PILLS
