Miracle Medicines: Seven Lifesaving Drugs and the People Who Created Them

I expected to be enlightened by this book, but I never expected to enjoy it. I was in for a big surprise. Author Robert L. Shook's writing is always first rate. However, in this book he has accomplished three rather remarkable things. First, instead of simply presenting well-researched and well-organized information - which could have made for a dull read - he has brought the information to life, creating seven intriguing stories about the dedicated and talented people who embody the pharmaceutical industry. I'll offer one example. Over a relatively short period of time we have come to accept AIDS as a (tragic) feature of contemporary society. I was fascinated to read about how, when, and where AIDS actually began; how it spread in this country; how physicians eventually identified HIV; and how pharmaceutical companies rushed to develop tools to diagnose and treat it. And, by the way, I found the profiles of the pharmaceutical companies quite inspiring - great things really can come from rather humble beginnings. Second, Shook takes technical information and makes it simple and easy to understand. This is no small feat. Finally, Shook helps the reader understand - yes, even appreciate - the contributions of pharmaceutical companies. In recent years, people have come to regard "Big Pharma" as they do "Big Oil" - i.e., as companies that exploit consumers who have no choice but to buy their products. Shook helps us to see pharmaceutical companies in a far more sympathetic light. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good read and wants to learn about the ever-changing world in which we live.

Americans who criticize the pharmaceutical industry need to read this important book. Author Shook went behind locked doors to show us an insight on the tremendous costs and risks that these pharmaceutical corporations take. We all complain about the high costs of medicine, but Shook clearly describes the years of work and dedication by brilliant scientists as well as the many millions of dollars that these corporations front to bring a new medicine to the market place. I still may complain about the cost of my prescriptions, but I am now appreciative of the many dedicated people in the industry who made my medicines available.

For years, the media has been knocking Big Pharma,and many of us are be duped into believing that the pharmaceutical companies are deceptive, devious and inhererently evil. Even the movie, "The Constant Gardener," a fictious story, has influenced public opinion to think that Big Pharma will do anything for the almighty dollar. Robert L. Shook, a highly respected independent business writer, with no ties to the pharmaceutical industry has penned an eye-opening book that takes the reader behind the scenes of seven companies--Abbott, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis amd Pfizer to meet the real people who dedicate their lives to finding cures for diseases. In doing so, Shook puts a face on these dedicated men and women, most of whom spend their entire careers working in their labs without ever having a new drug ending up in our medicine cabinet. After reading MIRACLE MEDICINES, my take on these individuals is that they are truly committed to humankind. They are hard-working, decent people who spend their lives to benefit others. As the author states, these are highly educated people, many who have medical degrees and Ph.Ds and could earn far more in private practice or working elsewhere. Why do they work for pharmaceutical companies? To paraphrase one chemist in the book, "I could have made more money working for a chemical company, but I wanted to work where I could do the most good for humankind." The author does an excellent job in presenting an otherwise very complicated subject in a way that can be enjoyably read by all. This is a tribute to his writing skills. The book is very informative and interesting to read. I recommend that you buy it.

Everyone lately has been attacking Big Pharma and at last an author has written a positive book about one of the world's most important industries. Robert L. Shook's Miracle Medicines discloses what every American needs to know about what our big pharmaceutical companies do that results in saving millions of lives and relieves pain and suffering for still millions and millions more people. Yes, people complain about the high cost of medicines, but what's a drug worth that inhibits HIV or a terrible cancer? Shook tells the story of Humalog, a manmade insulin produced by Eli Lilly that controls diabetes. This medicine costs only a couple of dollars a day, but without it, or another insulin, all diabetics would be doomed to suffer a horrendous slow death by eventual starvation. So for less than the cost of a Big Mac each day, I think this drug is an incredible value. Another medicine that's featured in this book is Remicade, a biotech medicine made by Johnson & Johnson. The story of this medicine reads like fiction. Against all odds, its scientists and company executives refused to accept defeat. Remicade is truly a miracle medicine. It inhibits diseases that attack our immune systems. Taken by infusion, only a few times a year, it relieves the pain and agony of rheumatoid arthritis, and later it was approved for other indications including Crohn's disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis and ulcerative colitis. There is also the story that the author tells about Gleevec, a drug that he calls a designer medicine that targets cancer cells. Yes, the scientists at Novartis figured out how to make a molecule that goes into the cell and hits a specific defective chromosome causes a rare form of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The story about Gleevec is one of the truly great medical advances in modern times. Most important, this breakthrough medicine will open the door for other advances in the fight against cancer.. After I read this book, I walked away with a new respect for Big Pharma. So what if these companies make a lot of money. Considering the good they do for humankind, they deserve it.

Miracle Medicines, surely author Shook's best work to date, is the mostly unknown story of the years of time, huge effort, single minded dedication by very bright people, and enormous monetary resources and corporate conviction required to bring a successful drug to their ultimate purpose of helping patients. I was particularly struck by the discouraging odds against any one formulation. "In general terms, 10,000 new ideas are needed to create 10 workable trial drugs that will yield 1 that gets successfully to the market." Miracle Medicines is an important look at the inner workings of the pharmaceutical industry, and a creditable explanation of the extraordinary monetary risks taken with every new medication. In the book, certain pharmaceutical executives speak of their industry as having the highest risk reward ratios of any business. After reading Miracle Medicines, I believe them. It's a good read. Millard Cummins