Overview

How does a mere molecule—a chemical structure—become a drug? And, how do we know that is works safely? In a one-trillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry with high-stakes profits and perils, battles are raging every day to successfully bring a molecule to its birth: an FDA-approved medicine. In Medicine Wars, Dr. Makhdum Ahmed, an internationally renowned expert in cancer treatment and drug development, takes readers behind the scenes of the fascinating and sometimes cutthroat world of drug development. Today, the average person takes multiple drugs or supplements daily, and for those living with chronic conditions, even 10 drugs per day are not uncommon. Yet most of us are oblivious to what drugs do to our body, or what our body does to the drugs we take. Medicine Wars reveals how drugs work, the chemistry of diseases, how decisions are made by pharmaceutical companies, how new drugs are created and introduced to patients, and the long and challenging road to FDA approval. Along the way, readers meet the ingenious minds behind recent ultra-successful drugs designed to combat aggressive cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, and more. They will also find answers to common questions on drugs, such as: How long does it usually take for a drug to come to market? How are drug prices determined and why do they vary so drastically? When can we expect a cure for cancers like leukemia and lymphoma? Are experimental medicines unsafe? Can drugs slow aging and will humans ever be immortal? Given my illness (or that of my loved one), should I join a clinical trial and what are the odds it will help? A top medical expert who has long been on the frontlines of drug creation, Dr. Ahmed also offers legitimate criticisms of the darker side of the drug industry as the rate of chronic disease increases, health insurance becomes even more convoluted, and our population continues to age. Exploring basic pharmacological insights, cutting-edge science, and the arc of new-drug development, Medicine Wars will change the way readers think about medicine.

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9781633889521

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Reviews

Using vivid examples and clarifying anecdotes, Makhdum Ahmed uses his unique insights as a pharmaceutical executive-physician-scientist to untangle the convoluted journey a drug must make from bench to bedside. Both timely and much-needed, Race for a Remedy surprises because it is also a thoroughly enjoyable read. --Azra Raza, professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and author of The First Cell We are entering a remarkable era of medicine, where profound advances in biology are finding expression in the care and treatment of patients. In Race for a Remedy, Dr. Ahmed, an unusually thoughtful physician-scientist and impassioned cancer drug-developer, offers us a rare, first-hand view from inside the arena. With remarkable clarity, he captures the complexity and nuance involved in creating and evaluating new medicines, eloquently integrating his appreciation for medical history, his understanding of emerging technologies, and his heartfelt empathy for cancer patients. The story, at once elevating and grounded, captures the promise of the moment, the excitement of science, the menace of cancer, the anguish of patients and families, and the determination of researchers to make a difference. --David A. Shaywitz, MD, PhD, veteran drug developer, instructor at Harvard Medical School, and contributor at Astounding Healthtech In the last twenty years, there has been an explosion of progress in the management of cancer. In Race for a Remedy, Makhdum Ahmed provides a front-row seat to witness the birth of several revolutionary cancer therapies. From the physicians, scientists, and pharmaceutical companies who have helped transform this once dreaded constellation of diseases, a clear picture of hope emerges. For the patients whose lives are turned upside down with the words 'you have cancer, ' Dr. Ahmed demonstrates the passion with which science is racing for their remedy. --Jeff Sharman, director of research at Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and medical director of hematology research for the US Oncology Network We are in a golden age of novel cancer therapies. Race for a Remedy focuses on some of the most important new treatments and brings to life the unseen people whose drive and passion to improve the outcomes for patients helps make this happen. Very well-written and a compelling narrative. --Simon Rule, Executive Medical Director, Haematology R&D, AstraZeneca

In the last twenty years, there has been an explosion of progress in the management of cancer. In Race for a Remedy, Makhdum Ahmed provides a front-row seat to witness the birth of several revolutionary cancer therapies. From the physicians, scientists, and pharmaceutical companies who have helped transform this once dreaded constellation of diseases, a clear picture of hope emerges. For the patients whose lives are turned upside down with the words 'you have cancer, ' Dr. Ahmed demonstrates the passion with which science is racing for their remedy. --Jeff Sharman, director of research at Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and medical director of hematology research for the US Oncology Network We are entering a remarkable era of medicine, where profound advances in biology are finding expression in the care and treatment of patients. In Race for a Remedy, Dr. Ahmed, an unusually thoughtful physician-scientist and impassioned cancer drug-developer, offers us a rare, first-hand view from inside the arena. With remarkable clarity, he captures the complexity and nuance involved in creating and evaluating new medicines, eloquently integrating his appreciation for medical history, his understanding of emerging technologies, and his heartfelt empathy for cancer patients. The story, at once elevating and grounded, captures the promise of the moment, the excitement of science, the menace of cancer, the anguish of patients and families, and the determination of researchers to make a difference. --David A. Shaywitz, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, DNAnexus, and Co-Founder and West Coast Innovation Lead, MGH/MIT Center for Assessment Technology and Continuous Health (CATCH) We are in a golden age of novel cancer therapies. Race for a Remedy focuses on some of the most important new treatments and brings to life the unseen people whose drive and passion to improve the outcomes for patients helps make this happen. Very well-written and a compelling narrative. --Simon Rule, Executive Medical Director, Haematology R&D, AstraZeneca

Ahmed has intertwined his own personal health journey with the stories of how novel therapies have changed outcomes of certain blood cancers in the last 15 years. They show us how the art of science has contributed to advancing this field. --Saad Usmani, Chief of Myeloma Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York With passion, thoughtfulness, and an uncommon sympathy for patients, doctors, and scientists alike, Ahmed delivers a brisk, well-ordered inside account of the world of cancer research. Bringing a novel drug to market isn't merely a race but a 100-mile steeplechase lasting decades and involving countless lives. Ahmed puts himself - and readers - in the middle of the action, providing hope, clarity, and wisdom throughout. --Barry Werth, author of The Billion Dollar Molecule and The Antidote Using vivid examples and clarifying anecdotes, Makhdum Ahmed uses his unique insights as a pharmaceutical executive-physician-scientist to untangle the convoluted journey a drug must make from bench to bedside. Both timely and much-needed, Race for a Remedy surprises because it is also a thoroughly enjoyable read. --Azra Raza, professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and author of The First Cell We are entering a remarkable era of medicine, where profound advances in biology are finding expression in the care and treatment of patients. In Race for a Remedy, Dr. Ahmed, an unusually thoughtful physician-scientist and impassioned cancer drug-developer, offers us a rare, first-hand view from inside the arena. With remarkable clarity, he captures the complexity and nuance involved in creating and evaluating new medicines, eloquently integrating his appreciation for medical history, his understanding of emerging technologies, and his heartfelt empathy for cancer patients. The story, at once elevating and grounded, captures the promise of the moment, the excitement of science, the menace of cancer, the anguish of patients and families, and the determination of researchers to make a difference. --David A. Shaywitz, MD, PhD, veteran drug developer, instructor at Harvard Medical School, and contributor at Astounding Healthtech In the last twenty years, there has been an explosion of progress in the management of cancer. In Race for a Remedy, Makhdum Ahmed provides a front-row seat to witness the birth of several revolutionary cancer therapies. From the physicians, scientists, and pharmaceutical companies who have helped transform this once dreaded constellation of diseases, a clear picture of hope emerges. For the patients whose lives are turned upside down with the words 'you have cancer, ' Dr. Ahmed demonstrates the passion with which science is racing for their remedy. --Jeff Sharman, director of research at Willamette Valley Cancer Institute and medical director of hematology research for the US Oncology Network We are in a golden age of novel cancer therapies. Race for a Remedy focuses on some of the most important new treatments and brings to life the unseen people whose drive and passion to improve the outcomes for patients helps make this happen. Very well-written and a compelling narrative. --Simon Rule, Executive Medical Director, Haematology R&D, AstraZeneca

Author Information

Makhdum Ahmed, MD, PhD is an award-winning physician-scientist and a drug-development leader in the global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. He was director of the Cancer Moonshots Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, a cutting-edge program with a comprehensive action plan to dramatically reduce suffering and death from major cancers. Dr. Ahmed is published widely in the scientific literature and focuses on identifying new treatments for aggressive cancers. His research has led to multiple patents and has been published in prestigious journals, including Science, Blood, and the British Journal of Hematology, among others. Winner of the Australian Leadership Award and the Global Health Corps Fellowship for outstanding leadership and commitment to equitable change in health care, he was also honored by former president George W. Bush at the 17th anniversary event of President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Ahmed lives in Boston.

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