“Ms. Hawthorne … has done the hard work of interviewing everyone from Merck sales representatives and doctors who prescribe Merck drugs all the way up to the former chief executive, P. Roy Vagelos. … As the title of her book indicates, Ms. Hawthorne is critical of the pharmaceutical industry. Unlike some other critics, however, she understands and communicates the incredible complexity of discovering new drugs and introducing them to the market. …” — The New York Times

 

An in-depth look at big pharma's flagship company

 

The Merck Druggernaut takes readers inside Merck, the world's second most profitable drug company and maker of the world's bestselling drug, Prilosec. Consistently named one of Fortune magazine's Most Admired Companies, Merck struggles to maintain its reputation for being the most ethical of the big drug makers, refusing to slash research and development budgets in the face of declining profits, falling stock market prices, and questionable accounting. 

 

Author Fran Hawthorne, one of the leading journalists covering healthcare, has written an excellent examination of a business paragon with much-needed insight on the cutthroat world of pharmaceuticals. It's a story that will interest the business world as well as consumer and healthcare advocates by detailing the vital issues in medicine and healthcare today. More than just a compelling story of success in a difficult industry, more than simply the biography of one of big business's most recognizable names, The Merck Druggernaut takes a thoughtful look at some of the major issues of our time and the way those issues intertwine with the world of business.

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