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The Antidote: Inside the World of New Pharma

Page 52

by Barry Werth


  of Vertex, 49, 116–17, 127, 133–35, 157–62, 203–4, 205, 226, 277, 280, 358, 376, 387

  Vancouver AIDS conference, 36, 230

  Van Goor, Fred, 118–21, 125, 127, 141–43, 300, 337, 344, 371

  Vasella, Daniel, 56–58

  VCH-222, see VX-222

  Vertex Pharmaceuticals:

  acquisitions by, 66–69, 73, 75, 78–81, 84–86, 127, 197, 199–200, 220, 287–88, 299, 354, 385

  alleged federal violations of, 369–71

  business plan and model of, 194, 204, 217, 259–60, 316–17

  China and, 169–70, 173–74, 291, 327

  commercialization of, 51, 196–98, 207, 209–11, 217–19, 221–22, 277

  corporate and scientific culture of, 18, 39–42, 116–17, 133, 135, 159, 161–62, 198, 205, 211, 219, 282, 290–91, 293–94, 323, 333, 335, 337–38, 354, 356, 361, 368, 374, 376, 380, 386

  creativity of, 57, 70, 161–62, 260, 281, 333, 385, 387

  credibility of, 56, 332, 365

  disclosure meetings of, 130–31, 247–49, 295

  disorganization of, 27

  employee turnover at, 184–85, 200, 241, 334–38, 370, 379, 386

  externalities of, 157

  as feared and fearless, 110

  finances of, 1–2, 7, 11–14, 23, 26–27, 36, 40–44, 46–47, 49–52, 56, 58–60, 65–66, 68, 73–75, 77, 82–88, 90, 96–99, 101–2, 106, 108–11, 114, 127, 129–31, 137, 139–42, 145–46, 149, 158, 162, 168, 171–72, 175–78, 185–87, 189, 191, 194, 198–99, 207, 211–12, 217, 222–23, 225, 237–38, 240, 245–47, 249–50, 259, 262, 276, 280–83, 287, 290–91, 297–301, 307–15, 318, 324–25, 327–33, 339–47, 350–65, 368–70, 372, 376, 378, 380–82, 386, 388

  future of, 249, 259, 314–15, 321–23, 385–88

  honors of, 320–21

  image, identity, and reputation of, 11, 30, 41, 49–50, 133, 160, 243, 275, 278–80, 365, 369

  launch of, 1, 5, 7

  lawsuits of, 48, 75–76, 101

  layoffs at, 88–91, 94–96

  mission of, 41, 117, 133, 146, 196–97, 205, 281, 286

  mock AdComms and, 227, 228, 230, 243-44, 255–56

  morale at, 335, 356, 379

  as operating company, 218–19, 281, 379

  partnerships of, 12–13, 18, 25–27, 31–32, 44, 47–49, 51–53, 56–59, 61–66, 68, 72, 75–78, 82–83, 85, 87–88, 97–99, 101–2, 105–8, 111, 114, 142, 144–45, 149, 169–70, 172–73, 177–78, 186, 193, 206, 215–16, 239, 299–300, 326, 336, 347, 370, 375, 378, 380

  physical expansions of, 58, 85, 87–88, 240, 320

  portfolio process of, 90–95, 97–101, 105

  project councils of, 18–19, 25, 27–28

  reorganizations of, 59–60, 64–65, 333–37

  reporting structure of, 59, 64–65, 71, 122, 144, 201, 207, 333–34

  rivalries of, 1, 7, 14, 16, 19, 101, 110, 207, 249, 260–62, 276, 278, 282, 286, 291–92, 307, 316, 347–48

  secrecy of, 25–26, 30

  slogans of, 160, 279

  strategy-opportunity balance of, 314–15, 317

  succession at, 122–23, 143–44, 146, 164–65, 188–90, 195–98, 205, 331, 338–39, 357–61, 363

  as takeover target, 56–57, 197, 216–17, 247, 331–33, 355, 357, 374

  as unique and exceptional, 53–54, 90, 196–97, 281, 316, 374

  vision of, 6, 57, 86, 108, 117, 135, 160, 201, 215, 259, 277, 321–23, 377

  Werth’s access to, 6, 386–87

  “Vertex Pharmaceuticals” (Porges), 97

  Vertex swoosh, 131, 136, 139, 144–46, 151, 180, 248–49, 281, 283, 296

  Vertex Vision Process, 117, 387

  Viagra, 46, 65, 246, 315

  Victrelis (boceprevir):

  AdComm and, 264–68, 273, 275–76, 299

  approvals of, 266–68, 283, 299, 341–42

  comparisons between Incivek and, 260, 282–84, 288, 307, 315–16

  FDA and, 264–67, 273, 275–76, 283

  HCV and, 172, 200, 208, 212, 228–31, 238, 245, 260, 263–68, 273, 275–77, 282–88, 299, 307, 311, 315–16, 341–42, 354, 374

  label of, 283, 285, 299

  Merck-Roche partnership and, 284, 287–88

  NDA and, 228–29, 231

  patient advocates and, 266, 273, 275

  prices and, 283–84, 286, 342

  sales and, 277, 284–85, 288, 299, 307, 315–16, 342

  side effects of, 267, 283

  sustained viral response (SVR) rates of, 266, 282

  Vioxx, 121–22, 228, 238, 245, 261, 279, 284

  ViroChem, 199, 220, 299

  Vision into Practice (VIP), 133–35, 157–59, 168

  vorapaxar, 245

  VX-148, 93

  VX-175, see Lexiva

  VX-222, 199, 215, 220, 262, 299–300, 325, 347, 355, 358, 362–63, 383

  VX-328, 18–19

  VX-330, 18–20, 25

  VX-478, see Agenerase

  VX-497, see merimepodib

  VX-509, 317–18, 380

  VX-661, 251, 363–64, 372, 381–82

  VX-702, 92–93

  VX-740, see pralnacasan

  VX-745, 53, 55–56, 71–75, 87, 92, 277

  VX-765, 92–93, 215–16

  VX-770, see Kalydeco

  VX-787, 380

  VX-809 (lumacaftor):

  CF and, 155, 177, 180–81, 183, 215, 251, 295–99, 301–2, 343, 364–65, 367–72, 380–81

  combining Kalydeco and, 295–99, 301–2

  in human testing, 180, 183, 215, 295–98, 302

  VX-950, see Incivek

  Waksal, Sam, 216

  Wall Street Journal, 121–22, 179, 193

  Warner-Lambert Company, 80, 195

  Washington retroviral conference, 25–26, 30–31

  Webvan, 55

  Weet, Jack, 267

  background of, 207–8, 227

  CF and, 327, 336

  EPO and, 208–9

  Incivek and, 200, 207–8, 222–23, 227–29, 232–33, 238, 240, 243–44, 257–58, 265, 270, 272, 289, 336

  NDAs and, 207, 222–23, 227–29, 232–33, 238, 244, 336

  weight gain, weight loss, 248–49, 254, 364

  Weisman, Robert, 360

  Werber, Yaron, 222, 308, 332, 344

  Williams, Brian, 263

  Wilson, Keith, 29

  Wokasch, Michael, 385

  Wolfe, Tom, 6, 346

  World War II, 3, 151–52

  Wright, Christopher:

  CF and, 295–96, 327, 367–68, 371

  Mueller’s reorganizing and, 334, 336

  WuXi PharmaTech, 173–74, 239

  Wyeth, 195, 199–200

  Wysenski, Nancy, 311, 322

  CF and, 218, 295, 297, 361

  Cozzolino’s resignation and, 241–42

  earnings calls and, 339–41

  Emmens’s relationship with, 210–11, 218, 370

  HCV and, 213, 351–52, 357

  Incivek and, 212–14, 217–18, 222, 228–29, 240–41, 264–65, 272, 285–87, 292, 339–42

  management style and skills of, 210–11, 218–19, 224

  Merck-Roche partnership and, 284

  Merck’s AdComm presentation and, 265–66

  NDA and, 228–29

  relationship between board and, 211, 218

  Xconomy, 193, 199, 220, 318, 360

  XPrize Foundation, 153–55

  yellow fever, 22

  Zantac, 46

  Zenobia (Emmens and Kephart), 187–88

  Zuccotti Park, occupation of, 328

  ZymoGenetics, 193

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  First
Simon & Schuster hardcover edition February 2014

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  Interior design by Kyoko Watanabe

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Werth, Barry.

   The antidote : inside the world of new pharma / Barry Werth. — First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.

    p. cm. Includes index.

   1. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. 2. Drug Industry—United States.  3. Drug Industry—history—United States. 4. History, 20th Century—United States. 5. History, 21st Century—United States. 6. Technology, Pharmaceutical—United States. I. Title.

   RA401.A3

   338.4'76151—dc23

  2013039646

  ISBN 978-1-4516-5566-7

  ISBN 978-1-4516-5569-8 (ebook)

 

 

 


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