Bad Pharma

January 14, 2013
In this searing exposeÌ of the pharmaceutical industry, physician and journalist Goldacre (Bad Science) uncovers a cesspool of corrupt practices designed to sell useless ordangerous drugs to an unsuspecting public. His main focus is the distortion of the science on which evidence-based medicine relies: drug companies, he argues, deploy deliberately biased clinical trials and twisted statistics to exaggerate their drugsâ benefits, while suppressing countless studies that show negative results or deadly side effects. Big Pharmaâs malign influence doesnât stop there, he contends; doctorsâ prescribing practices are determined not by patientsâ needs but by the insidious bribes and blandishments of sales representatives, the industryâs ubiquitous "educational" programs, and fake research articles, journals, and even textbooks signed by independent academics but authored by industry-hired ghost writers. Goldacreâs indictment fingers many culpritsâprofit-hungry industry executives, lax regulatory agencies that collude in hiding crucial information from the public, and complaisant journal editors and university officials who put their imprimatur on blatant misconduct. Drawing on a wealth of research but writing squarely for laypeople, Goldacre conveys complicated scientific, medical, and ethical issues in simple, clear, plainspoken language that pulls no punches. The result is a smart, infuriating diagnosis of the rotten heart of the medical-industrial complex. Agent: ZoeÌ Pagnamenta, the ZoeÌ Pagnamenta Agency.

April 29, 2013
In his latest, British physician and author Goldacre tackles the misdeeds of the pharmaceutical industry. As Goldacre presents a laundry list of flawed research projects, narrator Jonathan Cowley handles the author’s academic style with ease, never missing a beat. His precise annunciation matches the seriousness of the issues at hand, and he successfully balances the shifting tones of the narrative. Yet, as Goldacre recounts his adventures uncovering greed and corruption, Cowley ably takes on the author’s populist persona. Cowley especially entertains in sections devoted to industry schmoozing and networking, providing doses of humor to help bring home the author’s underlying messages. And if technical and scientific sections of the book make for a sometimes-demanding listening experience, Cowley’s winning reading helps broaden the appeal. A Faber & Faber hardcover.