Pharma: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America

Pharmaceutical breakthroughs represent some of the greatest advancements in human history. But, a raging opioid epidemic and soaring drug prices have contributed to an unprecedented breakdown in trust between the public and the pharmaceutical industry, demanding a national reckoning with how miraculous promises are marketed.

At the center of Pharma, is the story of the fourteen-billion-dollar family that founded the company most responsible for America's deadly opioid crisis. Gerald Posner traces the Sacklers' quiet rise to power, a company buried under a byzantine web of interlocking companies with ever changing names and hidden owners. The Sackler family provides a vivid case study of the ethical lapses and the reckless profiteering that characterize much of Big Pharma.

Over the last thirty years, the industry has mostly abandoned research for new antibiotics while concentrating on higher profit medications that treat chronic illnesses. As a result, many scientists believe Big Pharma has unwittingly created the opening for the next worldwide pandemic. Pharma draws on thousands of government and corporate archives to expose an industry that sits at the intersection of public health and profits.