The Merck Druggernaut

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. Fran Hawthorne (New York, NY) is the Assistant Managing Editor at Crain's New York Business. She has been covering business for more than twenty years for such publications as Fortune, BusinessWeek, and Institutional Investor, with a prevailing interest in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. At Crain's, she spearheads the publication of two to three special healthcare issues per year.

An in-depth look at big pharma's flagship companyThe Merck Druggernaut takes readers inside Merck, the world'ssecond most profitable drug company and maker of the world'sbestselling drug, Prilosec. Consistently named one of Fortunemagazine's Most Admired Companies, Merck struggles to maintain itsreputation for being the most ethical of the big drug makersrefusing to slash research and development budgets in the face ofdeclining profits, falling stock market prices, and questionableaccounting. Author Fran Hawthorne, one of the leading journalistscovering healthcare, has written an excellent examination of abusiness paragon with much-needed insight on the cutthroat world ofpharmaceuticals. It's a story that will interest the business worldas well as consumer and healthcare advocates by detailing the vitalissues in medicine and healthcare today. More than just acompelling story of success in a difficult industry, more thansimply the biography of one of big business's most recognizablenames, The Merck Druggernaut takes a thoughtful look at some of themajor issues of our time and the way those issues intertwine withthe world of business.Fran Hawthorne (New York, NY) is the Assistant Managing Editorat Crain's New York Business. She has been covering business formore than twenty years for such publications as FortuneBusinessWeek, and Institutional Investor, with a prevailinginterest in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. At Crain's, shespearheads the publication of two to three special healthcareissues per year.

Acknowledgments.Introduction.Chapter 1. In the Bull's-Eye.Chapter 2. From Little Pharmacy to Big Pharma.Chapter 3. Off the Cutting Edge.Chapter 4. The Drugs of Tomorrow.Chapter 5. The Freebie Circuit.Chapter 6. Just Like Toothpaste.Chapter 7. "It Is Not for the Profits", Part One: Prices andPolitics.Chapter 8. "It Is Not for the Profits", Part Two: The AIDSDebacle.Chapter 9. Living with Mother Merck.Chapter 10. A Different Business Model.Notes.Bibliography.Index.