This book traces the careers of Roy Vagelos, who eventually became the CEO of Merck and Co., Inc.

In Medicine, Science, and Merck, the authors trace the careers of a son of Greek immigrants as he mastered three professions and ultimately became the Chief Executive Officer of America's most admired corporation - the multinational, pharmaceutical giant, Merck & Co., Inc. As the authors show, there was hope even for a wise-cracking kid living through the hard times of the 1930s. Education brought out the scholar in Roy Vagelos, who left his family's small restaurant to attend the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia's Medical School, and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. At NIH, he mastered biochemistry; at Washington University he became a distinguished science administrator; and at Merck, he headed the pharmaceutical industry's most innovative laboratory and then became its CEO. Throughout, he never lost touch with his family values, his intense desire to help others, or his faith in the partnership principle and the competition that makes it work.

A unique interdisciplinary guide that addresses the challenges of geriatric care, now with a two-color design, all-new illustrations, and many redesigned tables.

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.

"A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR ANYONE WHO SEEKS A HEALTHIER OLD AGE FOR THEMSELVES OR THEIR LOVED ONES.” –William D. Novelli, CEO, AARP If aging were an open book, it would be The Merck Manual of Health & Aging. From one of the most trusted names in medical reference comes an accessible, all-inclusive guide for older adults that shares what measures to take to optimize the aging process, prevent disease, and improve your overall health. This comprehensive book also explains the health care system and the disorders seniors are most likely to experience. Inside you’ll discover clear, authoritative information on • preventive medical care and good nutrition • common medical disorders in older adults • strategies for coping with disease • steps for finding the best in medical care • how to communicate with health care practitioners • the role of alternative and complementary medicine • the benefits and risks of medical tests • the challenges of caregiving and rehabilitation • how the body ages • safe, easy-to-follow cardio exercises • the social, legal, and ethical issues of aging Also featuring candid essays by seniors who share their insights and personal experiences on growing older, The Merck Manual of Health & Aging is an essential home reference for making your later years truly golden.

Merck and the pharmaceutical industry are headline news today. Controversies over public safety, prices, and the ability of the industry to develop the new drugs and vaccines that society needs have been covered worldwide. Roy Vagelos, who was head of research and then CEO at Merck from the mid-1970s through the early 1990s, addresses these issues here. Success with targeted research started Merck on a path that would lead to a series of block-buster therapies that carried the firm to the top of the global industry in the 1990s and Vagelos into the top position at the company. Trained as a physician and scientist, he had to learn how to run a successful business while holding to the highest principles of ethical behavior. He was not always successful. He and his co-author explain where and why he failed to achieve his goals and carefully analyze where he succeeded.

To the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic pain and arthritis, Vioxx seemed like a miracle. One of the most widely promoted and prescribed pain medications in the world -- used by more than twenty million people -- it was endorsed by the medical establishment and celebrities such as Olympic champion figure skater Dorothy Hamill. With annual sales of $2.5 billion, Vioxx became a pharmaceutical bonanza before being abruptly taken off the market in September 2004, after it was revealed that it led to an increased risk of heart-related disease and death. Drawing on internal documents, video footage, court testimony, and exclusive interviews, as well as three decades of experience inside the medical industry, Tom Nesi tells the dramatic story of what the drug's manufacturer, Merck, knew and when. It is a compelling narrative of business and medical science run amok, with a cast of characters ranging from those at the highest levels of the multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry to research scientists, marketers, and drug company sales reps. Here also are accounts from physicians, lawyers, financial analysts, and patients and their families whose lives have been forever altered by Vioxx. Set against a fascinating history of the origins of the modern pharmaceutical industry, POISON PILLS is a shocking tale that involves the breakdown of the United States medical system, the failures of the Food and Drug Administration, and enormous profits made by a large pharmaceutical corporation at the potential cost of thousands of lives.