Description
Book Synopsis: For readers of Bad Blood and Empire of Pain, an authoritative look at monopoly medicine from the dawn of patents through the race for COVID-19 vaccines and how the privatization of public science has prioritized profits over people.
Owning the Sun tells the story of one of the most contentious fights in human history: the legal right to produce lifesaving medicines. Medical science began as a discipline geared toward the betterment of all human life, but the merging of research with intellectual property and the rise of the pharmaceutical industry warped and eventually undermined its ethical foundations. Since World War II, federally funded research has facilitated most major medical breakthroughs, yet these drugs are often wholly controlled by price-gouging corporations with growing international ambitions. Why does the U.S. government fund the development of medical science in the name of the public only to relinquish exclusive rights to drug companies, and how does such a system impoverish us, weaken our responses to crises, and, as in the cases of AIDS and COVID-19, put the world at risk? Outlining how generations of public health and science advocates have attempted to hold the line against Big Pharma and their allies in government, Alexander Zaitchik's first-of-its-kind history documents the rise of privatized medicine in the United States and its subsequent globalization. From the controversial arrival of patent-wielding German drug firms in the late nineteenth century to present-day coordination between industry and philanthropic organizations--including the influential Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation--that stymie international efforts to vaccinate the world against COVID-19, Owning the Sun tells one of the most important and least understood histories of our time.
Details
Discover the untold story behind the monopolization of medicine with Owning the Sun: A People's History of Monopoly Medicine from Aspirin to Covid-19 Vaccines. This authoritative book takes readers on a journey through the history of medical science and exposes the disturbing truth about how the privatization of public science has prioritized profits over people.
From the dawn of patents to the race for COVID-19 vaccines, Alexander Zaitchik's groundbreaking work explores the contentious fight for the legal right to produce lifesaving medicines. You'll delve into the origins of medical science as a noble pursuit for the betterment of humanity, only to witness its transformation into a profit-driven industry that undermines its ethical foundations.
With the majority of major medical breakthroughs funded by the government, it's astonishing to learn that these breakthroughs are often controlled by price-gouging corporations with international ambitions. Why does the U.S. government fund medical science in the interest of the public, only to surrender exclusive rights to drug companies? This system not only impoverishes us, but it weakens our responses to crises and puts the world at risk, as seen with the AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics.
Owning the Sun reveals the tireless efforts of public health and science advocates who have fought against Big Pharma and their allies in government. This eye-opening history highlights the rise of privatized medicine in the United States and its global impact. From the arrival of patent-wielding German drug firms in the nineteenth century to the present-day collaboration between industry and philanthropic organizations like the influential Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this book uncovers a crucial and often overlooked chapter in our time's history.
Don't miss out on this essential read that will change your perspective on medicine forever. Get your copy of Owning the Sun: A People's History of Monopoly Medicine from Aspirin to Covid-19 Vaccines today and be part of the movement to reclaim the power of public science.
Get your copy now and embark on this enlightening journey into the world of monopolized medicine.
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