For Blood and Money: Billionaires, Biotech, and the Quest for a Blockbuster Drug

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This book reveals the little-known story of how a biotechnology company developed a groundbreaking cancer drug and how its core team, denied their profits, achieved success again. A veteran financial journalist narrates the saga of two major cancer drugs that became monumental Wall Street investments. In the multibillion-dollar biotech industry, where pharmaceutical companies, the government, hedge funds, and venture capitalists invest heavily, discovering a single molecule can halt cancer and enrich its discoverers. The narrative follows a small team at a California biotech start-up that identified a rare molecule, a BTK inhibitor, effective against a severe type of leukemia. As patients begin to recover, the team realizes they have made a significant breakthrough. The story unfolds with genius, emotion, and drama, featuring vivid characters navigating corporate intrigue and ethical dilemmas. The author immerses readers in the biotech start-up boom, highlighting the scientists, doctors, and investors risking everything for life-saving treatments, as well as patients facing life-or-death stakes. This gripping nonfiction work illustrates the challenges of bringing new drugs to market, their high costs, and the influence of profit-driven venture capitalists on the future of medicine.