Magic Cancer Bullet: How a Tiny Orange Pill May Rewrite Medical History

By Daniel Vasella and Robert Slater

The remarkable story behind the revolutionary miracle cure for cancer, Gleevec. Novartis chairman Dr Dan Vasella describes its development and how he and Novartis orchestrated the break-neck approval and massive production of this amazing drug. Pharmaceutical giant Novartis recently developed Gleevec, one of the first 'smart' drugs created to kill cancer cells without damaging healthy cells in the process. In early tests with a common form of leukemia and other types of cancer, Gleevec has been extraordinarily successful, and side effects have been astoundingly minimal. Gleevec communicates directly with cancer-causing chromosomes and interrupts the signal that causes excessive growth of certain white blood cells. Patients have seen their tumours shrink significantly, and some have disappeared altogether. This is the inside story of the creation of this miracle drug, and how Novartis CEO and chairman Dan Vasella rallied the company to bring Gleevec to market in mass quantities and record time.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060010304
• ISBN13: 9780060010300
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Harper Business
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.9" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

The Inside Story

This is an excellent account of the way things really happen. The media sometimes beats the political drum so loudly about the pharmaceutical industry being an evil empire that the other side of the story is never heard. Here is an inside look from the perspective of dedicated scientists, committed business executives, and the people they serve. If you want to base your opinions on all aspects of the issue, this is required reading.

This book will offer you an inside view....

As an employee within the pharmaceutical industry, this book will offer the reader an inside view of how a product goes from the research phase to finally, the consumer. As a father to a child with cancer, this book offers hope that someday a cure will be developed to eliminate cancer. A must read!

Gleevec Book

As someone who has CML, the disease that Gleevec was developed for, and as someone for whom Gleevec has been a life-saver, I can attest to the the fact that this book is a valuable and interesting read.This book makes note of the important part the internet played in the rapid FDA approval of this "proof of concept" drug. It also tells the personal story of how several persons that have used this drug lives' have been affected. Some parts of this book may bring tears to your eyes.It is becoming apparent that Gleevec will be of help against several other diseases, besides just CML.As a "proof of concept" drug, Gleevec is truly unique, promising and exciting, and that fact alone makes the telling of its story so worthwhile. I am totally satisfied with this book, and am glad that I bought it.