Writing this book has been a journey, and many people helped along the way.
Self magazine published my first article about generic drugs in 2009, where I was lucky enough to be edited by Sara Austin, now executive editor at Real Simple. At Fortune magazine, my May 2013 article on Ranbaxy, “Dirty Medicine,” which served as the jumping-off point for this book, benefited greatly from the exceptional skill, judgment, and dedication of my editor, Nick Varchaver, now a senior editor at ProPublica.
In 2014, as I began work on this book, I needed reporting help all over the world. I am grateful to David Kaplan, the executive director of the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), who connected me with talented journalists in India, Ghana, China, and elsewhere. The GIJN conferences opened the door to an international community of brave and talented journalists, who inspired and helped me throughout this project. I am indebted to Mark Lee Hunter of Story-Based Inquiry Associates for his advice on how to turn years of reporting and mountains of information into an actual story, at a moment when I felt stuck.
At the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), deputy director Marina Walker Guevara generously allowed access to the offshore banking records of the Panama and Paradise papers, while Emilia Diaz Struck patiently provided instructions on how to navigate within the records. At the Freedom of the Press Foundation, director of newsroom digital security Harlo Holmes and digital security trainer Olivia Martin offered valuable guidance on digital file encryption, risk assessment, and secure communication with sources.
Throughout my reporting, I relied on a database called FDAzilla, which captures every inspection the FDA has performed around the world, and also provides important ancillary data. As my expenses mounted and my budget tightened, the site’s cofounder Tony Chen and CEO Michael de la Torre allowed me continued use of the site, and even provided customized data. Other outside organizations also provided invaluable help. Dr. Rebecca Goldin, the director of STATS.org, helped me to translate statistical concepts into plain English. Peter Sorenson of the Sorenson Law Office and Daniel J. Stotter of Stotter and Associates LLC excel at litigating stalled Freedom of Information requests and helped me get records from the FDA.
I am also grateful to so many who hosted me along the way or shared their local knowledge during my reporting trips: Sophy Burnham, Kathy Sreedhar, Vivienne Walt, Anton Harber, and Rimjhim Dey.
I am indebted to a number of organizations whose generous support allowed me to complete my reporting. The Carnegie Corporation selected me as a 2015 Andrew Carnegie Fellow and provided significant funding. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation provided a grant through its Public Understanding of Science, Technology, and Economics program. I am particularly grateful to Sloan’s vice president and program director Doron Weber for his faith in this project. The McGraw Center for Business Journalism at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism provided me with a McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism. The McGraw Center’s executive director Jane Sasseen was generous with her time and advice. A George Polk Award for Investigative Reporting also provided essential support.
Some very fine journalists worked on this book. Ariel Bleicher brought her elegant writing and sharp reporting skills to work as a research associate on the book for a year. In India, Syed Nazakat helped me to navigate the complex world of India’s business networks and government bureaucracy. Kent Mensah helped me on the ground in Ghana. Sunny Yang assisted me in China. Doris Burke and Andrew Goldberg delved into legal and financial records. Without the talent and hard work of Sony Salzman, a science journalist adept at analyzing data who worked by my side for three years, this book would not have gotten across the finish line. Kelsey Kudak fact-checked this book with remarkable skill. Any remaining errors are my own.
I am also grateful to a number of top-flight editors. Hilary Redmon, now at Penguin Random House, acquired this book for Ecco/HarperCollins, and gave vital early guidance. Domenica Alioto, a master of narrative nonfiction editing, helped to forge the book’s structure. At Ecco, I am indebted to Emma Janaskie, who skillfully edited the book and moved it into production. Additional thanks to the great team there: Daniel Halpern, Miriam Parker, Gabriella Doob, Meghan Deans, Caitlin Mulrooney-Lyski, and Rachel Meyers. I am particularly grateful to William S. Adams at HarperCollins for his sterling legal review and unflagging patience.
This book could not have happened without the unstinting wisdom, encouragement, and vision of my agent and friend, Tina Bennett. Even at the most difficult of times, her support never wavered.
I am grateful to the friends, colleagues, and family members whose close reading, consultation, and first-rate editorial comments made this book better in every way: Nick Varchaver; Jennifer Gonnerman; my brother, Matthew Dalton; Philip Friedman (who also came up with the book’s title); Sony Salzman; my mother, Elinor Fuchs; and my father, Michael O. Finkelstein, all served as early and insightful readers.
Maryam Mohit and Erik Blachford helped decipher financial records. Bryan Christy gave prescient editorial advice. Maureen N. McLane let me tap her unsurpassed wordsmithing skills. Vivian Berger, my stepmother, gave me expert advice on dispute resolution.
Thank you to my friends and family—including Lindy Friedman, Tracy Straus, and my sister, Claire Finkelstein—for their continued support during this process. My daily talks with Julia Freedson sustained me. My cherished friend Karen Avenoso (1967–1998) lives on every page.
My beloved children, Amelia and Isobel, made sure that I never lost touch with the world beyond these pages. They were patient, supportive, and funny during a project that seemed to never end. (They recommend that I write children’s books next.) My husband, Ken Levenson, helped in every way. He encouraged me at each step, took care of the family during my long reporting trips, offered wise counsel through thorny reporting and writing problems, and read many drafts.
Finally, a special thank-you to my many sources, who cared enough about the integrity of our medicine and the well-being of patients to entrust me with their information. Many of them spent hours—even years—patiently fielding my questions and helping me to understand complex processes. Without them, there would be no book.