Blood Feud

Blood Feud follows two pharmaceutical salesmen, Mark Duxbury and Dean McClellan, who worked for Johnson & Johnson selling an anti-anemia drug called Epoetin alfa. The men achieved record sales numbers until they discovered concerning practices in how the drug was being marketed and promoted. The book chronicles their transformation from successful drug representatives to whistleblowers, as they file a lawsuit against one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. Their legal battle involves attorney Jan Schlichtmann, known for the case featured in A Civil Action. The narrative tracks how a pharmaceutical product meant to help patients became the center of a complex investigation into corporate practices, medical ethics, and government oversight. The case has significant implications for healthcare policy, Medicare, and pharmaceutical industry regulation. This account raises fundamental questions about corporate responsibility in healthcare and the role of individual conscience in exposing wrongdoing. It stands as a documentation of how profit motives can collide with patient safety in America's healthcare system.

Readers found this investigation into pharmaceutical industry practices detailed and thorough, reading like a thriller while exposing corporate misconduct. Multiple reviews noted Sharp's extensive research and clear explanations of complex medical and business concepts. Liked: - Documentation and sourcing impressed industry professionals - Personal stories of whistleblowers and patients added impact - Clear breakdown of scientific/regulatory concepts - Fast pacing despite dense subject matter Disliked: - Some sections become repetitive - Corporate details can overwhelm the narrative - A few readers wanted more focus on patient impact - Timeline jumps created confusion for some Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (127 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (46 ratings) One healthcare worker wrote: "Sharp explains complex pharmaceutical development in terms anyone can grasp while maintaining accuracy." A common criticism noted: "The middle section gets bogged down in corporate structure details that distract from the main story."

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🔍 The whistleblowers' revelations led to a record-breaking $520 million settlement with Amgen in 2012, one of the largest pharmaceutical fraud settlements at that time. 💊 The book details how drug companies artificially inflated the dosages of Procrit, a medication for chemotherapy patients, potentially putting thousands of lives at risk. ✍️ Author Kathleen Sharp spent over five years researching and interviewing hundreds of sources, including former FDA officials, pharmaceutical executives, and medical professionals. ⚖️ The events documented in the book directly influenced changes in healthcare policy, including stricter regulations on pharmaceutical marketing practices. 🏥 The investigation revealed a practice called "marketing the spread," where doctors were incentivized to prescribe higher doses by being able to bill Medicare for more than they paid for the drugs.