Hello, Friends. Well, it’s been a long four years of writing (and neglecting my blog) but Bad Pharma is almost here, and so I ask you, are you ready for your next great read?

This Tuesday — 11/12/24 — Bad Pharma will be hitting the Amazon bookshelves. As writers, we all know this self-publishing thing is hard, but success comes when people share their book experiences with each other. I would be honored if you would experience Bad Pharma for yourself and share your reading journey with our community of like-minded others by leaving a comment on Amazon about your experience.

Need a little encouragement? Here’s a synopsis and a few early reviews to peak your interest!

Synopsis for Bad Pharma

Onward Pharmaceutical Labs (OPL), one of the world’s largest pharma companies, is completing the development of a new vaccine, RSVIX, to protect children from the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).  OPL expects RSVIX to be their next blockbuster and hopes to capture a big chunk of the $7 billion U.S. market. The final clinical study before licensure is a head-to-head comparison with RESPIRWELL, the currently licensed vaccine produced by OPL’s rival, Beamer Labs.

When Siddhartha Kumar, the OPL lead medical monitor assigned to the trial, discovers that RSVIX is not performing as planned, he notifies his superiors, recommending they stop the trial and offer a dose of RESPIRWELL to all the study participants to ensure their protection. The company refuses to inoculate the trial population with the licensed vaccine. Sid questions the ethics behind this decision while continuing to advocate for the safety of the children, but his insistence leads to his dismissal. Now, Sid is forced to advocate for his clinical patients from the outside with the help of some dear colleagues still working for the company.

Inspired by a true story, Bad Pharma delves into the ethical issues surrounding drug development, which often puts science and business at odds, and asks the ultimate question:  when is the risk not worth the reward?

Reviews for Bad Pharma

Bad Pharma is a riveting plunge into the shadowy corridors of the pharmaceutical industry, where profits often outweigh principles. Pam Lazos and Abraham Johns, MD, craft a timely tale that is as enlightening as it is unsettling. In today’s world, where the intersection of science, ethics, and commerce is more pronounced than ever, Bad Pharma serves as both a cautionary tale and a call to action. The novel describes a system gone awry and a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who dare to challenge it.
At the heart of the narrative is RSVIX, a vaccine hailed as a tremendous breakthrough and moneymaker by the powerful corporation Onward Pharmaceutical Labs (OPL). Beneath the polished veneer of corporate presentations lies a chilling truth: RSVIX is a house of cards built on shaky science. Enter Dr. Siddhartha Kumar (Sid), a tenacious scientist whose discovery of the vaccine’s inefficacy sets off a chain reaction. Sid insists that an additional booster provided by a competitor be given to all participants in the RSVIX trial. This spark threatens to ignite the powder keg of corporate rivalry, greed, and moral bankruptcy.
The plot moves at a good pace, pulling readers into a whirlwind of conspiracy, corporate greed, and scientific discovery. The urgency of the narrative mirrors the real-world race for medical advancements, and it’s easy to find yourself racing through the pages, eager to see what happens next. However, in the rush to uncover the next plot twist, you may miss the beautifully crafted prose woven throughout the novel, a masterclass in figurative language. The pharmaceutical industry is depicted as a beast, its tentacles reaching into every aspect of society, squeezing until the lifeblood of integrity is nearly drained. The settings are painted with strokes that vividly bring the stark sterility of labs and the cold grandeur of corporate offices to life. – Ann Weaver, Jr. League of Lancaster Book Club

Following the lives, loves, and passions of the characters in this procedural medical drama story kept me reading until the wee hours of the morning. The characters work for a fictional pharmaceutical company completing a clinical trial of an enhanced RSV vaccine for children. Pharmaceutical companies make billions of dollars each year selling vaccines that have prevented many diseases. Before a new vaccine can be brought to market, the company must conduct a clinical trial to determine the efficacy of its product. Who decides the fate of those enrolled in these clinical trials? Does profit or concern for the patient come first? To find out who lives and who dies, who wins and who loses, read Bad Pharma, and you decide the solutions to the medical and ethical dilemmas raised. – Mary Theresa (Terry) Webb, MEd, PhD, founder of Conservation Consultants, Inc. and author of Tree of Life, among other books

Readers of Karen Slaughter, Joseph Finder, and Michael Crichton will love Bad Pharma! It is full of complex characters with intricate personal lives operating in a high-stakes, morally gray-black corporate environment. Part thriller, part morality tale, Bad Pharma is solidly written with an attention to detail that takes the reader inside the high-stakes world of pharmaceutical drug trials and explores the ethical boundaries when everything that could go wrong does go wrong. This novel provides an important yet entertaining message about the profit-driven motive of drug trials and the willingness of pharmaceutical companies to look the other way to smooth the path to approval of questionable drugs. – Joel Burcat, Author of Award-winning novels Reap the Wind and Strange Fire

I like stories that teach me things and make me think. But I want to be entertained, too. This story was gripping and fun, with plenty of romance and bad behavior. The characters had very real, very physical reactions, but there was also plenty to think about. I’m a pediatrician myself, and old emotions of rage and helplessness were stirred up in me as I watched the characters wrestle with competing priorities: profits, job Security, one’s Mental Health, and the life of a child. Not to mention the ambiguities of scientific data! It’s so therapeutic to see all that given voice. – Catharine Pew, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine.

Bad Pharma, the paperback will be available on Amazon on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Kindle Pre-Orders available now.

And here are links to the website: https://badpharmathebook.com/

And the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/badpharmathebook

Thank you for reading!

pam lazos – 11/7/24

Originally Published on https://greenlifebluewater.earth/feed/

Pam Lazos

Pam Lazos is an environmental lawyer and the author of the enviro thriller, "Oil and Water," about oil spills and green technology; of a collection of novellas, "Six Sisters," about family, dysfunction, and the ties that bind us; creator of the literary and eco blog www.greenlifebluewater.earth; a blogger for the Global Water Alliance (GWA) in Philadelphia; on the Editorial Board for the wH2O Journal, recently rebranded as the International Journal of Water Equity and Justice (University of Pennsylvania); an editor and ghostwriter for the newly published book, "Finally Home" by Deacon Mike Oles; author of a children's book, "Into the Land of the Loud"; and former Senior Assistant Regional Counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she protected water and wetlands for over 33 years. Pam continues this work through her writing. She practices laughter daily.