The Price of Health: The Modern Pharmaceutical Industry and the Betrayal of a History of Care

From "pharma bros" to everday household budgets, just how did the pharmaceutical industry betray its own history--and how can it return to its tradition of care?

It's an unfortunate and life-threatening fact: one in five Americans has skipped vital prescriptions simply because of the cost. These choices are being made even though we have reached a point in the conveyance of medical options where cancers can be cured and sight restored for those blinded by rare genetic disorders. How, in this time of such advancements, did we reach a point, where people cannot afford the very things that could save their lives?

Michael Kinch is a professor at Washington University in St. Louis. He is the author of Between Hope and Fear (Pegasus Books), The End of the Beginning (Pegasus Books) and A Prescription for Change (UNC Press). Beyond his current work documenting the sources of innovation responsible for new medicines, he has led cancer research activities at the biotechnology company MedImmune and the development of medicines to prevent pandemic virus outbreaks at Functional Genetics, Inc. He led drug discovery at Yale University before moving to St Louis.

Lori Weiman is a senior strategic communications adviser and business executive with experience in the biotech/pharmaceutical, IT, finance, accounting, and legal industries. Ms. Weiman is the founder and principal of Weiman Strategic Advisers, LLC, which provides strategic communications counsel and support to publicly traded, private and nonprofit organizations. Ms. Weiman has been a member of senior management and enterprise-wide teams, helping to establish, build and brand cutting-edge businesses by leading a broad spectrum of corporate affairs and investor relations functions. Throughout her career Ms. Weiman has served on the boards of a number of trade associations, private-public partnerships and nonprofit entities.