For Blood and Money: Billionaires, Biotech, and the Quest for a Blockbuster Drug

This book tells the fascinating story behind the development of two life-saving cancer drugs. The story is filled with a colorful cast of characters- hard-driving, ambitious, and fearless. Fortunes are made and lost. The writing is excellent and I was engaged from start to finish. It was refreshing to read about the benefits of these people's efforts and learn about the life-changing effects new drugs can have.This book also highlights the inefficiencies with the FDA and government regulators. It is an unfortunate reflection on our current culture that both political parties routinely demonize this life-saving industry. For anyone who sneers at this industry, I'd recommend to either stop taking their products (you or loved ones) or go try to develop these drugs on your own. Contrary to popular sentiment, these medications do not magically arrive in nature, with the only question being for bureaucrats to decide how to best distribute them; thousands of hours and billions of dollars are required. Highly recommend!

It’s not just greed….it’s a challenge, to develop a risky idea. Our corporate environment drives the costs into outer space. Is there a better way? With more and more drugs with miracle cures coming on the market can the private health insurers and Medicare bear their price tags?

This one is a must read book that is hard to put down. I will highly recommend it, specially to the people working within the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry. It is also a great read for those outside the industry, to get an idea of what goes into drug development.

Vardi has crafted an incisive dissection of the paths two life changing medicines for patients with cancer. The story of how a few people in the right place with the right mindset are able to envision the massive potential of drugs based on early clinical data is entrancing.He brings to light the roles that greed on one hand, and an abiding desire to bring important medical advances to patients on the other play in getting drugs to market.The "Golden Rule" is on full display in this book. He who has the gold makes the rules. But at least it ended in bringing drugs that have literally saved countless lives.Required reading for the people in the world who really are "trying to cure cancer", but also for the layperson who has the impression that all of the big scientific advances come from "Big Pharma".

an essential read for anyone interested in the process of how science gets turned into medicine, and the many personalities involved in this journey

As a statistician on immunotherapy trials for CLL, this was an absolutely fascinating read on the development of ibrutinib and acalibrutinib. I would recommend it to anyone working in the medical field or in the pharma industry,

Fascinating book and terrific storytelling. A compelling look behind the curtain with relatable moments for anyone in the biotech industry — from the highs to the lows to the tenacious (and obnoxious!) personalities

Vardi is a master storyteller. He puts forward the historical facts, the science, the personalities, the backstabbing, the greed, the profiteering, and the dramas in an unbiased manner.This book provides the reader with a ‘master class’ on what it’s like to work in a small company in the biotech industry. I recommend it unconditionally.

Since I take one the drugs whose development has been the subject of much of this book, I found it particularly fascinating. I now have a better appreciation of the varied and immense efforts required to bring an effective and valued drug to market.

For anyone that works in pharma business it is a must read. I never thought that work could shift into suco an interesting story. Worth every minute.

Incredible story and very well written, perfect to understand the basics of the Biotech world.

I've worked in pharma/biotech for over 30 years, so I have an interest in great stories about the industry. This book did not disappoint! From big egos, innovative science and the people behind it, this book gives a glimpse into this high risk/high reward business. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know how fledgling, small biotech companies try and develop molecules into the medicines that can transform the lives of patients and investors willing to risk it all.

I was the CFO of a biotech for four years. The story told here rings very true. Making a blockbuster requires just two things: a great drug and a nutter to drive it forward. The Chinese inventor of the Pharmacyclics molecule left with nothing. The drug was sold for $22bn. The Acerta molecule was bought for $1k from Merck and the drug was sold for $7bn. The truth is many great products are devised but there just aren't enough nutters on the planet to drive them forward.